Brits will face fines of up to £2,160 for walking along Italy’s Cinque Terre coastline while wearing flip flops or sandals

BRITS could face hefty fines this summer for their choice of footwear when exploring certain parts of Italy.

Foreigners have been warned that they must not wear flip flops or sandals if they're walking along the coastline of Cinque Terre.

The warning comes from the national park authority, according to , who have been forced to rescue a number of tourists who found themselves stranded on the tricky footpaths.

A new public campaign has warned that anyone could be fined up to €2,500 (£2,160) if they are not properly equipped when they set out on their hike, and need help as a result of this.

The five villages are joined by narrow footpaths that can be difficult to walk on.

Many tourists do not realise this before setting out on the journey, which means some have had to be rescued by helicopters or firefighters after getting injured because they were not wearing the right shoes or carrying the right equipment.

Patrizio Scarpellini, the head of the Cinque Terre national park, said they would launch the campaign first, before issuing fines.

He said: "The problem is that people come here thinking they are at the seaside, but the paths above the villages are like mountain trails."

The Italian villages have become increasingly popular with visitors and cruise ships, resulting in a huge increase in tourists.

Around 750,000 tourists are expected this year - up from 450,000 tourists last year.

Over-tourism has been a huge problem for certain destinations in recent years.

Some popular islands have taken strict measures, such as capping the daily visitors to campaigning for a cruise ship ban.

Venice is another part of Italy which has enforced new rules on tourists following a huge influx of visitors.

Anyone entering the city will have to pay ten euros to enter as a new charge.

Tourists could also be fined up to £400 if they are caught lying on the floor in the Italian city.