British man banned from Venice and fined nearly £400 for swimming in canal
Why this British man was banned from Venice
- A British man and his Romanian girlfriend were banned from Venice's historic city centre after swimming in the Grand Canal.
- The couple, aged 35 and 25 respectively, each received a €450 (£388) fine and were ordered to leave the lagoon city for 48 hours.
- Gondoliers reported the pair, who were reportedly celebrating the end of a romantic getaway, for violating local regulations against bathing in city waters.
- Venice officials praised the reporting, stating the incident is part of a wider crackdown on "disrespectful and uncivil behaviour" and overtourism.
- Locals expressed anger at the "senseless and dangerous" action, with the city having banned over 1,000 people from its centre this year for similar violations.