Amsterdam warns rowdy Brits of fines

Amsterdam yesterday warned rowdy British and Dutch tourists who "party excessively" in the city that they could face stiff fines, in the latest campaign to halt drunken mayhem on the streets.

The campaign specifically targets men aged between 18 to 34 years, who are increasingly attracted by the freewheeling Dutch capital's beer-drinking and soft-drug culture, as well as the salacious draw of its red light district.

Enticed by cheap travel, groups of young men -- mainly from elsewhere in the Netherlands or Britain -- frequently roam the inner city's canal-lined streets at weekends, on elaborate pub crawls or to celebrate noisy stag parties.

"All too often the result is drunkenness, noise in the street, litter and public urination," Amsterdam Marketing said, launching its "Enjoy & Respect" campaign.

It warned that there was a "high price for bad behaviour".

Under existing laws, those caught peeing in the streets can be fined 140 euros ($160), the same fine as for raucous late-night singing outside homes and residences instead of in bars and clubs.