Two British men have been charged with attempted murder after a local man was stabbed at a bar in Venice on Valentine’s Day, police said.
The men, who are aged 19 and 21, stabbed a 22-year-old local man in the neck on the 14 February at a bar in a popular nightlife area of the city centre.
The victim pulled the blade from his body himself and came close to bleeding to death after the incident outside “La Bussola” cocktail bar near the Rialto Bridge, Italian media reported. He was later rushed to hospital where he underwent life-saving surgery.
Police said the 19-year-old was the perpetrator and the 21-year-old his accomplice. They have not been named.
Local reports suggest that an argument erupted between the suspects and the victim over a woman.
The knife was recovered from Venice’s Grand Canal by state police divers after being thrown in the water, according to Ansa.
“Officers from the Venice Flying Squad, coordinated by the local prosecutor’s office, arrested two British nationals, aged 19 and 21,” police said.
“They are believed to be responsible for the attempted murder of a 22-year-old man, which occurred on Valentine’s Day in the historic centre.”
The arrests of the two men followed a search which lasted for more than a week.
A spokesperson for the British Embassy told the Telegraph: “We are providing assistance to two British nationals who have been detained in Italy, and we are in contact with the local authorities.”
Police said the two men had been on holiday in Italy since the end of January and had already booked return tickets to England.
Authorities used wiretaps, electronic surveillance, social media monitoring and an exchange of information with British authorities in order to locate the men. They were found in a city centre apartment that belonged to an Italian relative.
The property is owned by an Italian woman who is currently in Spain, according to La Milano. Her husband, a US citizen who arrived in Venice a few days before the British nationals, was also inside the home.
The Independent has contacted Italy’s Polizia Di Stato and the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for comment.