The parents of a group of children who were playing football in a public square in Venice have been fined.
The 14 youngsters between the ages of 10 and 13 were playing outdoors in the Campo Pino Signoretto square on the island of Murano.
Parents were each fined €50 (£43) to punish their children for disturbing the peace and passers-by as well as playing football in a prohibited area.
Local police were called after receiving a number of complaints from members of the public, annoyed by the noise being made by the children.
The officers took the names of the children and a week later summoned their parents to the local police station to issue them with fines.
The police said the behaviour is punishable under the city's regulations, which state that 'ball games and any other games that could cause danger or annoyance to others, damage, or disturbance are prohibited in public areas.'
One city councillor was furious at the heavy-handed response from the police.
Marco Gasparinetti wrote on social media: 'Scammers? Pickpockets? Drug dealers? No, they are the parents of [14] children. Wasn't taking away the ball enough?
'Wasn't telling them to stop, explaining why, more educational? A lack of prioritization and common sense.'
One of the fathers Antonio Trampus told La Stampa: 'My son called me in tears. The police wouldn't listen to reason. They could have called us parents and asked us to take our children home. Instead, they immediately took their names and addresses.'
The fine could rise to as much as €500 if not paid within 60 days, but the father insisted that he 'will not pay' and is pllaning on contesting the fine and taking the matter up with the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro.
Regulations introduced in 2019 banned ball games in areas across the city.
On the island of Murano there is only one square where ball games are permitted - in San Bernardo square.
However the parents argued that Pino Signoretto was never included in the list of banned areas as it was only recently created.
Paolo Poggi, a retired professional footballer who was born in Venice, called for 'common sense' amid the row.
He told La Nuova: 'For goodness sake, the rules should always be respected. But then what should children do, give up playing?'
'Soccer schools can't be the only ones teaching physical education to kids. The rule must be changed with common sense in mind, to promote the well-being and physical development of children. It's hilarious that children are fined 50 euros and then can't do anything about pickpockets'
'It's clear that football can't be played in some sensitive areas of the city, but the point is that we care more about these aspects than the children's play and entertainment experience, almost as if we'd rather have robots or keep them sitting on a bench looking at their phones.'