The mayor of Florence is HOSING down church steps to stop tourists eating lunch on floor

ASKING for water with your sandwich in Italy clearly doesn’t mean the same as it does in the UK.

Tourists snacking on the steps of Florence’s Santa Croce basilica this week were ordered to take their lunch elsewhere before street cleaners were brought in to hose them down.

The spray down was ordered by the city’s mayor, who wants the local historic sites treated with more respect by visitors.

Cleaners will now be brought in every lunch time to spray down the steps.

Mayor Dario Nardella told The Local: “From today, we'll be experimenting with a very simple measure: pouring water over the church steps to clean the spaces, and hopefully discourage people from eating, drinking and making a mess there.

“If tourists want to sit there, they'll get wet.

“Florence is full of cafes with outdoor seating, tables, and benches. The churches aren't restaurants; they are religious and cultural sites.”

When the steps had dried off, several tourists were reported to have tried to sit back down on the floor but police were on hand to intervene.

If the new trial is successful, it will then be rolled out to other historical monuments in the city.

While some have criticised the measure, it is seen as less extreme than the new fines that are being placed on tourists who flout the picnic ban in the area near the Spanish Steps in Rome.

Late last year, seven tourists were fined a total of 900 euros (£787) after police caught them drinking alcohol on the steps.