(ANSA) - Venice, November 21 - A five-year-old boy was fined for riding his scooter too fast in St Mark's Square in Venice after the toy was deemed an outlawed "velocity accelerator".
Two inflexible traffic cops made the boy's father pay 66 euros and 88 cents in a case that has caused a social media furore.
Commentators slammed the Venice cops for being so strict, posting comments like "Shame", "Madness" and Miserable 'Ghebi' (Fuzz)". The centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD) whip on the city council, Monica Sambo, said "it seems like an over-the-top sanction, absurd.
"Piazza San Marco mustn't become an amusement park, but what harm can a five-year-old boy have caused?" Toy scooters and roller skates are banned by Venice by-laws.
The boy's father said he would appeal.
Boy, 5, fined for riding scooter in St Marks' Square
Sanction spurs furore on social media