On 1 January new legislation comes into force in Italy to make the ski slopes safer. Children up to 14 years old will be obliged to wear a crash helmet while on the slopes and anyone caught ski-ing or snowboarding dangerously or too fast can be stopped and fined. Penalties may be handed out with discretion at first but ski schools and ski-lift operators are within their rights to refuse children without helmets.

Snow has fallen heavily all over the mountains in the north of Italy and all of the ski-slopes will be open for the New Year holidays.