Racket around the Christmas tree in Bari

THE festive spirit was in short supply in the Italian city of Bari when two men allegedly threatened to set fire to its official Christmas tree unless they were paid €2,000 “protection money”.

The businessman who had won the contract for erecting the fir tree reported the extortion attempt to the police and, during a second encounter with the pair, wore a wire that recorded their threats.

The pair – Antonio Manzari, 30, and Francesco Longo, 42 – were arrested by police and charged with extortion “aggravated by mafia methods”.