British tourist receives €500 fine for dipping feet in Rome fountain

A British tourist has been fined for dipping his feet in a well-known fountain in Rome as the continent hit scorching temperatures.

The holidaymaker was hit with a hefty €500 (£424) penalty for cooling off his feet in the Italian capital’s Piazza di Spagna, at the foot of the city’s famous Spanish Steps, on Saturday afternoon, Independent reports.

Police officers also gave the 42-year-old man a temporary ban from returning to the area, according to local media.

The Spanish Steps, a landmark which famously featured in the Audrey Hepburn film Roman Holiday, are subject to strict rules but have seen a number of incidents of damage by tourists recently.

An American visitor caused over £20,000 worth of damage after she threw an electric scooter down the steps in June, but was fined only £430.

In May, a Saudi tourist drove a Maserati down the famous Piazza after he reportedly took a wrong turn that sent him down the steps.

And while the summer months bring sweltering heat, several people have been fined for jumping into Rome’s Trevi Fountain.

Recent extreme heat has forced Italy to ration water amid its worst drought in 70 years, with four northern regions declaring a state of emergency.

Wildfire levels for 2022 have already tripled the country’s annual average.

Other parts of Europe, including Portugal and France, have also suffered devastating wildfires as temperatures soared well past 40C across the continent.