Two surfers on motorized boards who were branded “idiots” by the mayor of Venice for speeding down the city’s Grand Canal have been identified by authorities.
A video has been posted on social media by Luigi Brugnaro of the couple heading along the famous Italian waterway after being caught on camera.
On Twitter, Mr Brugnaro asked for the public’s help in finding who he called “two bossy idiots mocking the city” so they can be punished.
He added that “mayors urgently need more powers in matters of public security”.
And he offered to buy dinner for anyone who identified the surfers.
In a later post, he said their boards had been confiscated and the two would soon be found.
He did not say what punishment they would face, but the city has a number of rules governing visitor behavior.
Venice has suffered from over-tourism for years, and with it lack of decorum on the part of those who make trips there.
In 2019, the city fined two German travelers £830 for making coffee on the 430-year-old Rialto Bridge.
Visitors are also prohibited from swimming in the canals and eating on the steps of the monuments.
From 2023, day-trippers will have to pay a tourist tax to help offset the rising costs of providing services in the city.
