The mayor of Venice has branded tourists who complained about being charged 526 euros (£463) for lunch in a restaurant close to St Mark’s Square as “cheapskates”.

Luigi Brugnaro, who has a reputation for plain-speaking, said the tourists should have learnt Italian - and even some Venetian dialect - so they could have understood what was being delivered to their table.

He made the remarks after Luke Tang, a university lecturer from Birmingham, said he and his 70-year-old parents were appalled to be presented with the hefty bill after eating at the Trattoria Casanova restaurant at the weekend.

Earlier this week Mr Tang, 40, wrote an open letter to the mayor, saying he felt as though he had been ripped-off and warning that such conduct would besmirch Venice’s reputation. He also sent it to Italy’s national news agency, ensuring it got widespread press coverage.