Umbrellas and deck chairs seized in crackdown on reserving beach spots in Naples

Authorities in a coastal suburb of Naples seized umbrellas, loungers and deck chairs during a dawn sweep of a beach aimed at cracking down on the growing trend of people attempting to reserve prime spots overnight.

Torre del Greco’s port authority said coastguard staff and local police had together collected 40 items as part of a national beach and lake safety operation that targets people labelled by the Italian press as furbetti dell’ombrellone, or umbrella cheaters.

The port authority said the sweep at Laghetto, a popular, free-access beach unlike the private concessions that dominate much of Italy’s coastline during the summer, was carried out after numerous complaints about equipment being left unattended for days on end.

The operation discovered “unattended chairs, umbrellas and small tables that were continuously occupying the beach, effectively reserving a spot for the owners’ return”.

“It is a practice that recurs each summer, but it is expressly prohibited,” the port authority said, adding that “occupying the beach in this manner violates the regulations governing the management of maritime public domain areas”.

Those leaving behind their beach equipment after sunset risk fines of up to €500 (£425) while reclaiming the confiscated personal belongings involves a bureaucratic ordeal.

There was a similar blitz on a beach in Puglia earlier this month as well as on others in Liguria and in Sardinia.

Italian beachgoers are battling to reclaim “free beaches” from private concessions, which, especially in Liguria, Emilia-Romagna and Puglia, are common.

One such battle was recently won in Bacoli, near Naples, with the town saying the municipality aimed to make more than 80% of the local coastline free or equipped for public use.