Blow-up doll lifeguard gets Italian in hot water

ROME (Reuters) - Sunbathers in Italy are used to seeing muscular lifeguards patrolling the beaches, but in one resort they were surprised to see the person on duty was literally "pumped up".

A lifeguard at Imperia in northwest Italy had temporarily left his lookout post and put in his place a blow-up doll, dressed to look like him, complete with sunglasses, binoculars and a whistle in its mouth.

The disguise was not enough to fool the head of the coastguard service who discovered the trick and fined the human lifeguard -- who was nearby -- 1,032 euros ($1,603), the coastguards said.

(Writing by Robin Pomeroy, editing by Paul Casciato)