© Photo by: ClickAlps/REDA&CO/UIG via Getty Images Sunny view of some Venice canal. Venice is mulling a ban on carrying alcohol in the streets in its latest bid to combat the impact of excessive tourism and disruptive behaviour that is infuriating residents.



The city is considering fines for anyone found to be carrying alcohol after 7 pm - even if it is sealed in shopping bags.

The move is designed to target drunk tourists who party throughout the night in squares or public places in the popular Lagoon City without a “justifiable reason”.

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Venice’s local police chief, Marco Agostini, said the proposal was not designed to target shoppers leaving their neighborhood supermarket but rather “someone who goes around drunk and has a bag with three bottles of beer inside”, ANSA news agency reported.

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More than 20 million tourists visit the historic centre of Venice every year but a growing number of residents are fleeing the tourist city, leaving just 55,000 people living there.

© Xinhua/Jin Yu via Getty Images Night view of the Venice's Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy. The council initiative is the latest designed to balance the growing influx of tourists with the needs of long-term residents.

This year the city experimented with unprecedented crowd control measures to separate tourists from locals in the World Heritage city by channelling visitors through particular routes.

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The city recently announced controversial plans for a ban on sitting or lying on the ground, which will be put to a vote in October. If approved, tourists could reportedly face fines of anywhere from €50 (£56) to €500 (£450) for sitting on an unauthorised surface

Meanwhile Florence recently introduced fines for visitors found to be eating panini, pizza and focaccia on the pavement and on shop doorsteps in the city’s historic centre.

Tourists who find themselves on the wrong side of the law, which came into effect in early September, face fines of between €150-€500 (£135-£450).

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