Coronavirus: Man caught walking sheep ‘fined for breaking lockdown rules’

Around 26,000 people have been sanctioned this week, official figures show

A man walking a sheep has been fined for breaking lockdown rules in Italy, according to local media.

He was caught strolling with the animal on a lead around Palermo in Sicily.

Police reportedly stopped him as part of checks to enforce measures aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus.

He was then handed a fine, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

The man was discovered walking the sheep near an overpass by the city’s ring road, according to local online paper Palermo Today.

People in Italy have been ordered to stay at home unless it is essential, for example, to buy groceries or go to work, in a bid to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.

Italians are also allowed to take their pets out for walks if needed to keep them in good health.

Tougher sanctions for those who break the rules were brought in by the government in late March, with fines raised to between €400 (£348) and €3000 (£2,613) for those caught on non-essential trips outside.

So far, penalties have been handed out to a priest walking his cross through the streets, six people demonstrating in Rome against lockdown measures, and a cyclist who took his bike in the sea while trying to evade checks, according to Italian media.

A couple have also been charged after they were caught meeting up in a car in northern Italy.

Around 26,000 people were fined on Monday and Tuesday this week for ignoring the rules, according to interior ministry figures.

The restrictions on movement are aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19, which has infected more than 165,000 people in Italy to date.

Around 21,600 people have died in the country after testing positive for coronavirus as of Thursday, according to official figures.