A town on the Italian Riviera has been swept up in a scandal over absenteeism after it emerged that council employees were clocking in for work and then heading to the beach, to the shops or even back to bed.
A months-long covert investigation by police found that up to 75 per cent of council employees in San Remo failed to show up for work, including a security guard who regularly turned up in his underpants, punched his time card and then promptly went back to bed. Sometimes he sent his wife or young daughter to stamp his card.
Other employees were secretly filmed punching their cards and those of friends, and then skipping work for the day. One man regularly turned up for work, swiped his magnetic card, and then headed off to work at a flower shop run by his wife.
A team of 150 officers raided the council's offices on Friday, arresting 35 people, including a local police officer, and are investigating dozens more on charges of fraud and embezzlement. Of 271 employees who were placed under surveillance, 72 per cent, or 195 people, were found to have been skiving off work.
San Remo Mayor Alberto Biancheri, who was not involved in the investigation, said: "Sadly, we now find ourselves with offices that are devoid of any employees."
