THE mayor of Venice and more than 30 others were arrested today in a sweeping corruption investigation related to the construction of underwater barriers to protect the historic city from flooding.

Italian financial police confirmed that Mayor Giorgio Orsoni had been arrested. News reports said he was being investigated for alleged corruption, extortion and money-laundering.

The arrests followed a three-year probe that led to the arrest last summer of the head of the consortium building the ambitious but long-delayed so-called Moses barriers.

Authorities say €20 million (£16.28m) was diverted abroad to bribe politicians.

A series of unrelated corruption investigations, mostly involving bribery or embezzlement, have implicated former high-ranking ministers in recent months.

Investigations have revolved around some of the biggest Italian public works projects including the Milan world’s fair Expo 2015 and an Italian-funded project in Iraq.