Venice fines ‘imbecile’ tourists for surfing down the Grand Canal

ROME (Reuters) – Two foreign tourists who sped down Venice’s famous Grand Canal on motorised surf boards have been identified and fined, city authorities said.

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro called the culprits “imbeciles” after they were filmed on the waterway on Wednesday, and offered a restaurant dinner to anyone who could identify them.

It did not take local police long to track them down, fine them 1,500 euros ($1,528.05) each and confiscate their surf boards worth some 25,000 euros, a statement from Brugnaro’s office said.

The footage of the men surfing down the canal went viral on social media and helped the police to identify them, although the city authorities did not make public who they were.

“Thanks to everyone for the help,” Brugnaro tweeted, adding that the city would press charges against the tourists and inform the consulates of their countries about their conduct.

($1 = 0.9816 euros)

(Reporting By Gavin Jones; editing by Barbara Lewis)