The legacy of Benito Mussolini has been drawn into a row over whether to cut down Rome’s 'Fascist' pine trees.

During recent storms, several trees crashed to the ground, killing a man and a teenage boy, injuring several people and crushing cars.

Public parks had to be closed because of toppled trees or those that were judged to be in danger of falling.

The mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, blamed the accidents on the age of the capital's trees, saying that many of its distinctive umbrella pines were planted during the Fascist era.

“Many of the trees that fell down are 90 years old - they were planted by the Fascist regime and they are now reaching the end of their existence,” Ms Raggi, a member of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, said.