Italian mayors and regional leaders have issued a barrage of angry threats to their own people in an extraordinary effort to enforce the coronavirus lockdown.

Vincenzo De Luca, president of the Campania region, raged that he would send the police 'with flamethrowers' to break up any rogue graduation parties.

Another mayor took to the streets himself to remonstrate with locals who were playing ping-pong near the beach and breaking Italy's rules against unnecessary ventures outside.

Italy has been under a nationwide lockdown for two weeks, but virus cases have continued to surge, prompting calls for even tougher quarantine measures.

Vincenzo De Luca, president of the Campania region, raged that he would send the police 'with flamethrowers' to break up any rogue graduation parties

Regional president De Luca made his bizarre threat in a televised message in which he said: 'I'm getting news that some would like to throw graduation parties.

'We will send the police over,' he added. 'With flamethrowers.'

Cateno De Luca, mayor of Messina, was equally uncompromising. In an impassioned Facebook tirade, he said: 'You will not 'stroll' in my town.

'I can't formally ban you from leaving your house?

'I will ban you from setting foot on public soil unless for proven necessities.'

Antonio Decaro, the mayor of Bari, took to the seaside himself in order to send people back to their houses.

'Go home,' he could be seen telling two people playing table tennis near the beach, 'play some videogames.

'I'm the mayor of this city. I will make you follow this decree. I don't want excuses. You must go home. You. All. Have. To. Stay. Home.'

Another added: 'This isn't a movie. You are not Will Smith in I Am Legend. You have to go home.'

Yet another angry message urged Italians to consider that they were putting their lives at risk even by getting their hair done.

'Getting in mobile hairdressers? What the f*** is that for?,' asked Antonio Tutolo, the mayor of Lucera.

'Do you understand that the casket will be closed? Who the f*** is supposed to even see you? With your hair all done in the casket?'.

Antonio Decaro, the mayor of Bari, took to the streets himself to remonstrate with locals who playing ping-pong near the beach and breaking Italy's rules against unnecessary trips outside

Italy is in the grip of the world's worst coronavirus outbreak, with the death toll increasing by nearly 1,500 over the weekend.

Since the outbreak began in February, there have been 60,000 confirmed cases in Italy with almost 5,500 people dying from the illness.

The country announced a draconian nationwide lockdown starting on March 10, that heavily restricted travel between cities and urged people to stay at home.

Since then it has been expanded to confine people to their homes, with people only allowed out to go to work, a medical appointment, or other emergencies.

Italy tightened restrictions even further today by banning all domestic travel and shutting down a range of industries today.

Italians are now banned 'from moving by public or private means of transport outside the municipality in which they are currently located'.

There is an exception for people who can prove they must travel 'for work needs of absolute urgency or for health reasons'.

The latest wave of restrictions is designed to get the Mediterranean country through a vital 10-day stretch in which the rate of deaths and infections is supposed to finally drop.

Italy's health officials sounded notes of guarded hope after reporting another 651 fatalities on Sunday, a drop compared to Saturday's record 793.

But prime minister Giuseppe Conte told Italians it was too early to let down their guard.

'We have not reached the most acute phase of the infection and the numbers will continue to grow,' he said.

'Much depends on the responsible behaviour of each one of us.'