An anonymous group of Venetians has delivered a blunt message to the millions of tourists who descend on the Italian lagoon city each year – get lost.

A number of posters appeared in the World Heritage-listed city this week bearing, in English, the words: “Tourists Go Away!!! You Are Destroying This Area.”

They were pasted onto walls in the Castello district of Venice, which encompasses the old Arsenal ship-building area and is popular with visitors.

The flyers sparked a debate online about whether Venice can continue to deal with the huge numbers of people who visit each year.