Police fine tourists £850 for making a coffee in Venice

Two tourists making a coffee on the steps of the Rialto bridge have been fined.

Police charged the German backpackers, aged 32 and 35, €950 (£853) for using a travel cooker to prepare coffee on the iconic Venice landmark, the oldest of Venice’s bridges still in use over the Grand Canal.

The pair were also asked to leave the city after falling foul of one of Venice new raft of public order offences.

This legislation includes having picnics on certain sites of historical importance and not wearing a shirt in public spaces.

Luigi Brugnaro, Venice Mayor, said: "Venice must be respected and those impolite people who come here and do what they want must understand that. Thanks to the local police, they will be sanctioned and removed."

Tourists found to be breaking these rules will likely have their identities shared with their national embassy.

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Around 30 million tourists from all over the world visit Venice each year.

In December 2018, the city introduced an ‘entry fee’ of up to €10 for short stay tourists.