Venice gets first official female gondolier

City bosses in Venice say they have granted a female gondolier with a full licence for the first time.

Giorgia Boscolo had to pass a year-long series of tests for her right to join the men in the gondoliers' guild and row tourists around the lagoon city.

The 24-year-old - whose father was also a gondolier - now joins the 424 men who are also qualified to navigate the narrow canals.

However, at the moment the mother-of-two is only allowed to fill in for one of the guys if he wants to take the day off.

And given they are allowed to charge £30 for each 20 minutes in the 11-metre long, black craft… it's probably not that often.