Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash

This footage shows how two crafty Frenchmen flouted lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic to take a dip in the Mediterranean Sea – disguised as buoys with white cones on their heads.

The man filming cannot believe his eyes as they emerge from the water and then bursts out laughing as a whistle can be heard being blown loudly, causing the two chubby men to make a dash for it.

But in true slapstick style, as they stumble around with the oversized cones on their heads, one of them appears to fall over, if a little theatrically before they both scarper off down the beach.

One of the two men was reportedly caught by the police and promptly fined 135 EUR (118 GBP) for breaking lockdown.

The individual, named in local media as just ‘Pierre’, said: “I know that it doesn’t take things very seriously, regarding isolation, but if it can make people smile and bring some laughter during these times, we are happy to pay the fine.”

According to French media, the footage was shot on the Almanarre beach in Hyeres, a French town on the Mediterranean coast, in the Var department in south-eastern France. Hyeres is the oldest resort on the French Riviera.

The footage was shared on Pierre’s Facebook profile. It was then reposted on several social media and video sharing platforms where it appears to be entertaining thousands of netizens.

Pierre also uploaded these pictures showing a person wearing a buoy on his head appearing to shrug in front of a police officer without saying who the person was.