Italy demands FINES for tourists caught buying fake goods as illegal trade peaks at €22BN

Holidaymakers who also get cheap massages or tattoos done on the beach will also be slapped with a penalty charge in an attempt by the firebrand politician to stamp out illegal trade.

The move is being probed Mr Salvini, who along with Luigi di Maio form part of the holiday-hotspot’s coalition government, to make Italy’s beaches safer, according to newspaper La Stampa.

The interior minister has warned if new legislation is not granted, he will escalate matters to the EU.

La Stampa reports: “At the center of the project there is the strengthening of the collaboration between law enforcement and the municipal police of beach areas.

“Salvini thinks of resorting to the European funds of legality, a possibility to be verified, since no EU country draws on those funds to pay overtime to the police.”

Mr Salving’s call for tougher vendor laws comes after a report revealed Italy’s illegal trade turnover had tipped the scales at an eye-watering €22billion.

In a recent speech, Mr Salvini said his aim was to “not only to guard the Italian coastlines from the assault of illegal street vendors, but also to monitor who rents their lodgings and warehouses for the goods”.

Tourism in Italy has been the subject of a lot of media coverage after residents from Venice took to the streets to protest anti-tourist segregation barriers that keep tourists and locals apart, attacking the barriers and tearing them down.

As Venice tourism reaches an all-new high, the city is no longer able to accommodate the vast number of visitors despite its income relying heavily on tourism.

In an attempt to control the crowds, city officials installed metal barriers to segregate the tourists and residents.

The revolt has raised questions over whether Italy is safe for tourists to visit.

The country has been plagued by tensions after months of political lockdown ended with Mr di Maio, of the Five Star Movement, and Mr Salvini joining forces in a coalition causing emotions to run high.

This was not helped by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who blocked the forming of a government by refusing to approve the appointment of a new eurosceptic economy minister.

Additional reporting by Maria Ortega