UK tourists have been warned people in Portofino are "turning" on one another. Neighbours are turning on each other in a Portofino air-con crackdown, UK tourists and European Union holidaymakers have been told by the Guardian newspaper. Some residents of wealthy Italian village are reportedly passing on photos to police who are hunting illegal units.
Portofino has been part of a regional national park since 1935, and up until a few years ago, the installation of AC units on its pastel-coloured buildings was entirely banned. Police have been scouring the streets for unauthorised units poking out over the terraces of the village’s homes. There were reports of 22 illegally installed units spotted on various rooftops and terraces between January and May, and a further 15 since June as temperatures soared.
READ MORE UK set for 'second' 35C heatwave in August and it will be 'major' Matteo Viacava, the mayor of Portofino, told the newspaper: “It all began last winter when someone put in an air conditioning unit that covered a big part of a very narrow street. The summers have been getting much hotter and July and August have been sweltering and very humid. It’s not that we want people to suffer and have their sleep disrupted by the heat .
.. "We all depend on AC now.
But Portofino is located in a regional park and there are rules that need to be respected.” Those who flout the rules risk fines of as much as €43,000 (£36,800) if prosecuted in court. “We just want to ensur.