Fighting for trade

A Sicilian town is cracking down on waiters who have come to blows as they compete for tourists’ custom. The mayor of Taormina, where author D H Lawrence once wandered the narrow streets and admired the Mediterranean views, has ordered restaurants to erect fences to separate their employees, who prowl the pavements trying to attract passing holidaymakers. Tempers flared last month when a female restaurant staff member argued with a waiter next door about his aggressive menu-waving tactics, sparking a brawl. Waiters from both restaurants joined the melee, kicking and throwing punches as tourists fled their tables.