By Sean Poulter Consumer Affairs Editor

Published: 00:00 BST, 18 April 2024 | Updated: 01:00 BST, 18 April 2024

Families after a cheap summer getaway should head for the Costa Brava, Italy’s Amalfi Coast or lesser-known Greek islands.

The destinations have plenty of inexpensive room-only, self-catering and bed and breakfast deals, according to Which?.

The consumer experts assessed 4,500 holiday options in the first week of August in 70 European regions. And they found that picking the right destination can save hundreds of pounds.

Traditional low-cost destinations such as Bulgaria and Turkey were missing from the top ten cheapest spots for a package break. Instead the Greek island of Kalymnos took the crown for cheapest package destination, with a week’s stay typically costing £847 per person.

Getting there involves a flight to Kos followed by a 40-minute ferry trip, which is included in the price.

The Greek island of Kalymnos took the crown for cheapest package destination, with a week’s stay typically costing £847 per person

Which? said of Kalymnos: ‘The tiny island is Greece as you imagine it – boasting secluded coves, sapphire seas, rugged mountains, and charming towns.’

The capital Pothia is the most competitively priced resort on the island – with the cheapest package found costing £794 per person.

For those looking to relax on the sand, the island’s most popular beach resort, Massouri, costs an average of £856 for a week’s stay.

Behind Kalymnos are the Greek islands of Thassos, at £862 per person, and Lefkada, at £935 per person. 

Skopelos in Greece, which was made famous by the hit film Mamma Mia!, is also among the ten cheapest options.

Spain’s Costa Brava – the stretch of coast north of Barcelona famed for its sweeping golden beaches and stunning craggy cliff tops – placed fourth with an average of £952. 

Tenerife was crowned the cheapest destination for an all-inclusive holiday by Which? Travel 

Italy’s Amalfi Coast came sixth in the list of the ten cheapest package holiday destinations 

The Venetian Riviera – Lido di Jesolo – was the cheapest spot in Italy, at £965 per person, while the upmarket Amalfi coast was close behind on £977.

The rest of the top ten is made up of the Costa de Luz, Spain, Campania, Italy, and Malta.

A look at the cheapest locations for an all-inclusive break found Tenerife had the most competitive rates. The average was £1,097 per person for seven nights.

Other competitively priced options included Fuerteventura, the Costa Blanca, Spain, the Bourgas area of Bulgaria, and Dalaman, Turkey.

The editor of Which? Travel, Rory Boland, said: ‘Travelling in the summer holidays is notoriously expensive, and demand is again high this year – but our latest price analysis shows that by being flexible on your destination, you can potentially save hundreds of pounds.

‘Many of the locations we found aren’t those you’d necessarily assume would be the cheapest – but from tiny, traditional Greek islands to the glitzy Amalfi coast, there are bargains to be found this summer.’

A Dutch pensioner had the longest lasting Covid infection ever recorded – at 613 days.

Whereas most people can expect to shake off the virus in days or weeks, the 72-year-old had a weakened immune system and eventually died with his infection.

The virus mutated around 50 times and eventually spawned an ultra-mutated variant, according to scientists.

They warned such cases are perfect breeding grounds for deadly new strains of the disease to develop.

However, separate NHS data released today shows Covid cases in hospital are also rising, up more than a third in the last four weeks. There were 3,390 virus patients in hospital on December 17, up 38 per cent on the 2,452 logged on November 19. This is also an increase of 12 per cent in a week from the 3,024 logged on December 10

The patient was admitted to Amsterdam University Medical Centre in February 2022 with the omicron variant of Covid.

He had a history of blood cancer and had received treatment that depleted B-cells, including those that normally produce Covid directed antibodies.

Despite receiving several Covid vaccines, he had little antibody response when tested upon hospital admission and did not respond to antibody treatments.

But researchers found the virus developed a sotrovimab-resistance mutation as early as 21 days after receiving the antibody.

They also noted that anti-spike antibody development in the first month was minimal, indicating that the patient’s immune system was incapable of clearing the virus.

The prolonged infection led to the emergence of a novel, immune-evasive variant of the virus due to its extensive evolution within a host. He eventually died from a relapse of a condition in his blood.

Presenting their findings at ESCMID Global Congress in Barcelona next week, researchers said he had remained Covid positive, with high viral loads, for a total of 613 days.

The mutated variant was not transmitted to anyone else, they confirmed.

Dr Magda Vergouwe, from the Centre for Experimental and Molecular Medicine (CEMM) in Amsterdam, warned that the case underscored the importance of tracking the infections of the most vulnerable patients, whose bodies could be used as hosts to develop resistant mutations.

She said: ‘This case underscores the risk of persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections in immunocompromised individuals as unique SARS-CoV-2 viral variants may emerge due to extensive intra-host evolution.

‘We emphasise the importance of continuing genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 evolution in immunocompromised individuals with persistent infections given the potential public health threat of possibly introducing viral escape variants into the community.’

She acknowledged there had to be a balance between protecting the world from dangerous new variants and providing humane, supportive end-of-life care to severely ill patients.

Prior to this case, UK doctors believed they had documented the longest Covid infection on record who they treated for more than 16 months, or 505 days.

King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust doctors said detailed lab analysis of the unnamed patient revealed it was the same, persistent infection, rather than repeated bouts.

Dr Vergouwe added that though there’s an increased risk of the development of novel variants in immunocompromised patients, not every variant that develops will be of public concern.

The underlying mechanisms involved in the development of a variant of concern are much more complex, as they are also dependent on factors in the population surrounding the patient, including the prevalence of B- and T-cell related immunity.

She added: ‘The duration of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this described case is extreme, but prolonged infections in immunocompromised patients are much more common compared to the general community.

‘Further work by our team includes describing a cohort of prolonged infections in immunocompromised patients from our hospital with infection durations varying between one month and two years.

‘However, from the viewpoint of the general public, prolonged infections remain rare as the immunocompromised population is only a very small percentage of the total population.’

By Will Potter and Jake Fenner For Dailymail.Com

Published: 22:47 BST, 18 April 2024 | Updated: 01:29 BST, 19 April 2024

Former NFL All-Pro wide receiver and current internet provocateur Antonio Brown sparked backlash after sharing a slew of abusive tweets about Caitlin Clark. 

The WNBA top-pick quickly blocked Brown for his antics, with his tweet about how Clark ‘looks like she keep it hairy’ causing particular offense.  

But the receiver didn’t let up, also calling her his ‘Cracker of the Day’ and ‘Cousin It’ – a nod to an Addams Family character.

It’s far from the first time that Brown has been blocked for unpleasant remarks – with legendary quarterback Tom Brady and President Joe Biden restricting the ex-Pittsburgh Steeler from their timelines. 

Clark has grappled with several controversies since she rose to stardom during March Madness, including an awkward encounter with a reporter at her opening press conference just hours before Brown’s online onslaught. 

Caitlin Clark has blocked Antonio Brown after the former NFL star sent a slew of offensive jokes her way on social media 

Clark has had to deal with plenty of weird comments after this week’s WNBA Draft – including during her introductory press conference on Wednesday afternoon

Caitlin Clark looks like she keep it hairy.

— AB (@AB84) April 18, 2024

It came amid Clark’s media frenzy following her first overall draft pick by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA Draft on Monday night. 

During her opening press conference, Indy Star Sports reporter Gregg Doyel imitated the former Iowa star’s heart-hands gesture before saying: ‘Start doing it to me and we’ll get along just fine.’ 

Doyel apologized after the suggestive exchange, which sparked outrage online as Barstool Sports boss Dave Portnoy branded him a ‘sexist pervert.’ 

‘Today in my uniquely oafish way, while welcoming @CaitlinClark22 to Indy, I formed my hands into her signature [hand heart emoji,’ Doyel groveled to Twitter on Wednesday.

‘My comment afterward was clumsy and awkward. I sincerely apologize. Please know my heart (literally and figuratively) was well-intentioned. I will do better.’ 

Just hours after the exchange went viral, Brown decided to wade in with unsavory remarks about the WNBA rising star. 

Following his outrageous quip about Clark being ‘hairy’, he said her new Nike sponsorship deal could be followed by a ‘razor deal with ManScaped.’ 

‘She look like she bout to sign the Declaration of Independence,’ he said in another offensive tweet. 

Despite becoming embroiled in controversy since she became the new WNBA ‘it girl’, there’s been positives this week too – with Clark signing a massive deal with Nike

Brown has seen himself blocked by a number of high-profile celebrities since his career ended, as he often takes to Twitter to unleash unsavory jokes 

Despite becoming embroiled in controversy since she became the new WNBA ‘it girl’, Clark has also enjoyed several wins. 

Most notably, this includes the revelation that she’s set to sign an eight-figure deal with Nike that will land her a signature shoe. 

Brown couldn’t resist chiming in following the news of Clark’s Nike deal, as he shared a picture of a fuzzy Nike trainer captioned ‘Caitlin Clark’s Hair Force Ones.’  

Clark will be the third active WNBA player with their own signature shoe, joining Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty.

President Joe Biden even spoke highly of Clark, and added that the $76,535 salary she’ll earn in her first year in the league is an example of how ‘women are not paid their fair share.’ 

The Metropolitan Police has been branded ‘beyond appalling’ after an officer threatened to arrest a Jewish man trying to cross the road at a pro-Palestine march because his ‘presence was antagonising’.

The man, who said he trying to walk around the capital after going to a synagogue, was pulled aside by a police officer who said he was ‘breaching the peace’ because he was ‘quite openly Jewish’.

In a video shared by Campaign Against Antisemitism from Saturday’s march, the man – who was wearing a kippah on his head – tells the officer: ‘I don’t want to stay here, I want to leave.’ 

The officer then replies: ‘In that case sir, when the crowd is gone I will happily escort you out.’ 

After the defiant man attempts to walk across the road in the Aldwych area, the officer blocks him and says: ‘I don’t want anybody antagonising anybody… and at the moment sir, you are quite openly Jewish. This is a pro-Palestinian march. 

‘I am not accusing you of anything but I am worried about the reaction to your presence.’

The Metropolitan Police has been branded ‘beyond appalling’ after an officer threatened to arrest a Jewish man for ‘breaching the peace’ as he is stopped from crossing the road 

 This officer was seen blocking the Jewish man from crossing the road amid because he was ‘quite openly Jewish’

The man was interviewed alongside the footage and accused the Met of failing to make London safe for Jews

Later on in the video, another officer says: ‘There’s a unit of people here now. You will be escorted out of this area so you can go about your business, go where you want freely or if you choose to remain here because you are causing a breach of peace, with all these other people, you will be arrested.’

He clarifies: ‘Your presence here is antagonising a large group of people that we can’t deal with all of them if they attack you… because your presence is antagonising them.’

The Met Police said it was aware of the video and and ‘fully acknowledge the worry it has caused’. 

The video has sparked another backlash for the Met who have been accused of failing to make London safe for Jews. Robert Largan, the MP for High Peak, Derbyshire, shared the video and wrote: ‘This is beyond appalling’.

At another protest last month, an officer told a Jewish woman that swastikas ‘need to be taken into context’ when she reported seeing the Nazi logo on posters at a pro-Palestine march. 

At the time, Jocelin Weiss, 30, told MailOnline: ‘I think there’s a problem with a lack of basic education for this police force.’

Speaking about the latest incident, the Jewish man said he felt sympathetic towards frontline officers who are put in ‘impossible positions’ every week when they are asked to police huge protests ‘where there’s all sorts of criminality on display’.

This officer blocks the Jewish man from crossing the road

Another clip from the protest was also shared of a second officer telling the Jewish man: ‘I am trying to make sure you are safe and that no one attacks you or your group or anyone else, that’s all.’ 

Another clip from the protest was also shared of a second officer telling the Jewish man: ‘I am trying to make sure you are safe and that no one attacks you or your group or anyone else, that’s all.

The Jewish man, who asks him why there is no-one surrounding any of the pro-Palestine protesters, adds: ‘I’d like that too but your sergeant here has told me that because I’m Jewish, it’s antagonistic to the crowd and it’s dangerous for me.’

The officer replies: ‘I’m not saying that.’

But the man interrupts, saying: ‘But he’s just said that. Do you have any idea what it’s like being a Jew in London at the moment?’

When the officer says no, he adds: ‘Let me tell you, this goes on every Saturday, you probably know it, your colleagues know it. You guys are on the front line. The route changes every single week, you never have any idea where it’s going to be. 

‘Because you’re Jewish in London, you now have to cross these huge groups of people. It’s intimidating enough and now look at the number of police that are around her… I’m just a Jew in London trying to cross the road.

‘I’ve been told repeatedly by the Met that these are completely safe for Jews, that I should have nothing to worry about and yet here I find myself in this bubble. This guy has just been shouting at me and shoving me because I want to cross the road.’

Pro-Palestine protesters are seen waving banners at the march on London 

People hold a variety of flags and placards at the protests in London on Saturday, including Palestine and Israel national flags

Pro-Palestinian supporters speak with a police officer during a protest organised by Turning Point UK in London on Saturday

Campaign Against Antisemitism also shared shocking footage from the march of protesters shouting ‘scum’ at the Jewish man. Another pro-Palestine protester was heard shouting ‘Nazi’ in front of an officer. 

A third protester told the Jewish man: ‘I’m watching your movement… that’s right. We’re all going to watch your movements and record you. The police ain’t gonna help you in this scenario.’

The Jewish man said: ‘After months of being gaslit by the Met, it’s not safe for Jews to be walking in the presence of these protests.  And was there anything so crazy about what we were trying to do? Just walking around our home city on a Saturday.’

He added: ‘Is this something that we are willing to accept? That now the police have to keep Jews away. We mustn’t accept it.’

The Met Police arrested nine people at Saturday’s march for public order offences. It came hours before Iran launched an unprecedented Iranian strike on Israel that has raised fears of the war in the Middle East escalating.

The Met also sparked backlash when they told a Jewish woman a ‘swastika was not necessarily anti-Semitic’

Jocelin Weiss, 30, told MailOnline at the time that the Metropolitan police needs ‘basic education’

Campaign groups have condemned the Met for the spike in anti-Semitism.

A poster of a baby kidnapped by Hamas was defaced with two swastikas in an incident in London at the end of last year, including a swastika drawn on the infant’s forehead.

And in October a synagogue in Sussex was daubed with ‘SS IDF’ in red paint, with ‘SS’ depicted as the emblem of the Nazi’s genocidal elite guard, and ‘IDF’ referring to the Israeli Defence Forces.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of this video and fully acknowledge the worry it has caused, not only to those featured, but also anyone who watches it, and will review the circumstances.

‘We have always said that we recognise the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to be an issue of concern for many Londoners, and this includes the regular protests and marches in central London.

‘Everyone has the right to travel throughout the capital in safety.

‘We will meet with anyone who wishes to organise a march or protest ahead of 27 April.’

Another batch of chemical drums filled with liquid toxins has been unearthed in a New York neighborhood – just two weeks after six were originally found in the area.

Officials investigating the initial find uncovered up to five more 55-gallon drums containing waste petroleum and chlorinated solvents that have been lying beneath the Town of Oyster Bay in Long Island for decades. 

The drums were buried by Northrop Grumman when it operated an aerospace facility in the town from the 1950s to 1990s, and used what is now Bethpage Community Park as its dumping ground.

Residents have long raised concerns about a mysterious rise in cancer over the years and claim the discarded toxins are to blame – officials  fear the waste may have leaked into the soil and is on the way to public drinking supply.

Another batch of chemical drums filled with liquid toxins has been unearthed in a New York neighborhood – just two weeks after six were originally found in the area

The drums were buried by North Grumman when it operated an aerospace facility in the town from the 1950s to 1990s, and used what is now Bethpage Community Park as its dumping ground. And the town claims there has been a rise in cancer rates 

Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino told NBC New York: ‘These chemicals are very dangerous. They don’t belong in this park.

‘When Grumman left Long Island they took 20,000 jobs with them but they left their sins behind in this graveyard of contamination.’   

The town is home to more than 17,200 people who have been fearful about the effects of the Grumman Aerospace waste, specifically a four-mile-long carcinogenic plume flowing underground.

Residents have also found toxic compounds in their attacks and the soil – and a family of three living close to the park were all stricken with cancer.

The latest batch of drums was uncovered on Tuesday by teams pulling the other barrels from the ground.

A giant crane at the site was seen pulling each one out of a pit, which were encased in concrete.

Bethpage homeowner and cancer patient Pamela Carlucci told CBS News: ‘I’m not the only one. This is an area with a lot of cancer and a lot of heartache.’ 

She continued to explain that she new of up to 18 people who have died from or have cancer.

Bethpage homeowner and cancer patient Pamela Carlucci told CBS News : ‘I’m not the only one. This is an area with a lot of cancer and a lot of heartache.’ She continued to explain that she new of up to 18 people who have died from or have cancer

The barrels were uncovered about six feet in the ground and encased in concrete 

The drums were buried by Northrop Grumman when it operated an aerospace facility in the town from the 1950s to 1990s. Officials fear the waste may have leaked into the soil and is on the way to public drinking supply

The latest batch of drums was uncovered on Tuesday by teams pulling the other barrels from the ground

While many residents have similar stories, no official link between cancer diagnoses and Grumman’s toxic waste dumping has been found. 

So concerned were locals about health issues that the state health department conducted a study into cancer diagnoses in the town in 2013.

The three-year researcher found no higher overall cancer rates in a 20-block area surrounding the former Grumman property.

But officials noted that there were scientific limitations that made it nearly impossible to link residential cancer clusters and pollution.

What the study did uncover was that within a one-block area, all those diagnosed with cancer were younger than expected.

The newly discovered drums are set to be tested to determine what is inside and ensure chemicals have not leaked into the ground.

Grumman is also said to be putting its own team together to find other drums that could be hiding the 18 acres of the park – as officials are still reeling from those found earlier this month.

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino told local ABC 7: ‘The discovery of the drums in these coffin-like vaults is further proof that Grumman created an environmental graveyard of contaminants right here in this park.’

Bethpage Community Park was closed around 20 years ago over soil contamination concerns, but the site is nestled among homes and community centers.

Construction workers unearthed six 55-gallon chemical drums earlier this month, which were filled with liquid that could ‘eventually hit a public water supply well’

Officals are outraged by the discovery and fear there could be more toxic-filled drums buried through the town

Residents have also found toxic compounds in their attacks and the soil (pictured) – and a family of three living close to the park were all stricken with cancer

‘One of the 55-gallon drums’ that had been discovered and tested,’ Saladino said, ‘can ignite at 80 degrees [Fahrenheit].

‘At 80 degrees, and yet the Department of Environmental Conservation has allowed them to heat the soil to 210 degrees!’

The first six drums were discovered by a construction team that was drilling a sentinel wall and test well.

‘Their drill went through the concrete, and punctured one of the drums,’ Saladino said earlier this month, while noting the drums were buried seven feet below ground.

Three members of the Cornett family were diagnosed with cancer at the time. Christopher (pictured), 40, was diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer in 2016

However, whistleblowers said years ago that Grumman had buried toxic chemicals under the town. 

Saladino is now demanding Grumman pay for a full soil excavation in the park after his residents had already spent $20 million to clean up the park’s ice skating rink.

The statements even sparked a response from then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2016, who announced the state is funding groundwater contamination testing and constructing clean-up plans if necessary on Long Island.

While Cuomo’s investigation came up inconclusive, three members of the Cornett family were diagnosed with cancer at the time.

Christopher, 40, was diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer in 2016.

But six months prior, his mother was diagnosed with kidney cancer and a year before his dad with prostate cancer.

The family sued Grunmman for no less than $100 million in 2018 – but no further developments have since been shared.

Then last year, residents of Bethpage retained a lawsuit with the intent to sue the company after finding their attics were teeming with toxic compounds.

The samples were taken in March and May and showed evidence of hexavalent chromium in the dust.

Hexavalent chromium is a byproduct of industrial processes and has been linked to different cancers. 

Stephanie Ciambra Ball found toxic compounds in her attic. She is also a breast cancer survivor and is concerned the toxins led to the disease 

Bethpage Community Park was closed around 20 years ago over soil contamination concerns, but the site is nestled among homes and community centers

Northrop Grumman operated on a 600-acre part of the small Long Island town from about 1954 until 1994. During this time, the company designed, tested and fabricated prototype aircraft for the US Navy and NASA

Stephanie Ciambra Ball’s childhood home in Bethpage tested positive, according to ABC 7.

‘You always saw smoke,’ Ciambra Ball recalled growing up near the factory. ‘We didn’t think about it. You always heard the turbines going.’

Ball is also a breast cancer survivor and believes the disease may have been a result of the toxins in the air.

And in 2014, soil samples were taken from Bethpage that reveled various chemicals near homes that sit close to the Bethpage Community Park

Northrop Grumman operated on a 600-acre part of the small Long Island town from about 1954 until 1994.

During this time, the company designed, tested and fabricated prototype aircraft for the US Navy and NASA.

The facility produced bombers flowing during the Vietnam War and parts of the Apollo lunar spacecraft that took the first men to the moon.

Such operations also included toxic chemicals, which eventually seeped into the ground and created the carcinogenic plume that was discovered in 1986.

In 2022, Northrop Grumman and New York State officials finished a $104 million deal to clean up the plume.

State Attorney General Letitia James said: ‘For decades, Northrop Grumman knew its hazardous waste disposal sites leaked toxic substances into the only source of drinking water on Long Island, but for decades, Northrop Grumman denied responsibility.

‘Long Islanders have paid the price for the company’s negligence but today, we’re finally forcing Grumman to address its environmental abuse by paying the municipalities and the state that had to clean up its mess.’

This week, the luxury goods leviathan LVMH unveiled the sleek opening ceremony uniforms for the French Olympic and Paralympic teams.

The navy and cobalt blue outfits, designed by the LVMH house Berluti, showcase the high-end chic credentials of the group, which is France’s biggest company.

But these sporting ensembles also presage how the £340billion company, led by the world’s richest man Bernard Arnault, intends to make the most of its influence over the Paris Games.

LVMH is the most generous local sponsor, spending a rumoured £130million. But this outlay is modest, given the objectives of LVMH, the largest player in the global luxury goods game.

Arnault and the five of his children who have key roles at the company are determined to maintain its all-conquering position in this challenging era of ‘brand bifurcation’ in the sector.

Influence: LVMH boss Bernard Arnault – the world’s richest man – with the medals for the Olympic games

In this trend, delineated by Swetha Ramachandran, of fund manager Artemis, the really rich continue to spoil themselves.

But aspirational shoppers, without such deep wallets, are harder to lure. The post-pandemic ‘revenge’ spending binge is ending, and cost of living pressures are biting.

Some brands appear to have an unquenchable appeal, as shown by the performance of Hermes, maker of £7,000 handbags, and Loro Piana, the LVMH house famed for its £4,000 cashmere jackets.

But other makers of upmarket accessories and clothing face a struggle in the more testing climate. 

Sales have tumbled at Gucci, one of the Kering houses, because of declining demand among Far East consumers. The custom of the Chinese is crucial to the success of any luxe brand.

This week’s first-quarter results showed that LVMH’s growth was slowing.

The retail division, which includes the Sephora make-up and skincare chain, may be prospering. But there is less appetite for Moet & Chandon and Hennessy drinks. Tiffany baubles have also lost some of their shine.

LVMH’s chief financial officer Jean-Jacques Guiony was not particularly optimistic – although not downcast either – about the outlook for watches. The group owns Hublot and TAG Heuer.

Hopeful: Shot putter Gloria Agblemagnon

However, analysts had feared a worse outcome for all the houses, with the result that shares in LVMH bounced, as did those of its rivals like Burberry and Kering.

There was even talk of a possible soft landing for the sector.

The LVMH figures showed the Chinese may not be splashing out at home, but are treating themselves while on holiday in Japan, thanks to the weakness of the yen.

However, as analyst Mamta Valechha, of Quilter Cheviot, points out: ‘LVMH is a leader in its categories and has the leverage to protect margins’. Burberry and Kering remain ‘turnaround stories’.

The results increase the attention set to be paid to the visibility of LVMH brands at the Olympics and Paralympics this summer.

The events, which last for a month, are seen as a perfect opportunity to remind the world that LVMH exemplifies elegance and success. 

The victors will sport medals designed by Chaumet, founded in 1780, which is yet another of the group’s 75 fashion, jewellery, perfume and watch houses.

Each medal will contain a piece of the original metal of the Eiffel Tower, kept aside from a restoration of the monument.

The links formed by LVMH with French athletes who are also celebrities should help to win over aspirational shoppers, encouraging them to part with some of their disposable income.

The fencer (and photographer) Enzo Lefort and the sprinter Timothee Adolphe are ambassadors for Louis Vuitton, the handbag and luggage house.

The gymnast Melanie de Jesus dos Santos has assumed this role at Dior, the fashion house.

Moet & Chandon and the group’s other champagnes, such as Dom Perignon and Krug, will be served in the VIP suites at the Games.

But investors will raise a toast if spectators in the less expensive seating – and TV viewers – are persuaded that LVMH embodies French elegance and that its products are worth acquiring, despite the price.

Our jolly, mahogany-tanned captain glides the dingy towards some rocks, then directs his group of excited day-trippers to head for an indiscernible path between tall reeds.

I lead the way with fearless vigour, and a few minutes later we emerge at a beach of cinematic beauty, with alabaster-white sand and a glimmering sea of the palest emerald.

But the desert island spell is broken instantly by a vexed Italian woman striding towards us, clutching a walkie-talkie and snapping orders in comically accented English.

‘NO stop! NO towel! NO sit! Walk!’ She then instructs our bemused troop to follow her.

It’s business as usual at Budelli island’s Cavaliere beach, a stretch of sand so precious that it requires security guards.

Isolated: Rob McGibbon explores Sardinia’s lesser-visited north. Above, one of the tucked away bays that dot the shores 

Budelli island’s Cavaliere beach (pictured), just off the coast of northern Sardinia, is a stretch of sand so precious that it requires security guards

Budelli is one of more than 60 islands that make up La Maddalena Archipelago, a protected national marine park just off the coast of northern Sardinia.

The entire area is gorgeous and has been a magnet for flotillas of sea-faring tourists for decades.

However, mindless souvenir hunters have stolen so much sand, shells and stones over the years that guards are now stationed on a few ecologically fragile beaches during peak season. For removing these irreplaceable treasures, fines can hit £2,600.

I first went to Sardinia in 1977 and have rediscovered it in recent years as a perfect European family holiday destination.

It has everything – weather, sea, cuisine, culture, history and beaches that match the Caribbean.

You’ll be sure of a warm welcome wherever you go, and it’s only a two-hour flight away.

Rob checks into Resort Valle dell’Erica, part of hotel group Delphina Resorts 

Most of Rob’s time at Valle dell’Erica was spent on the ‘serene’ Licciola beach (pictured)

We are here to discover the lesser-visited north, and are using the hotels of Delphina Resorts, the island’s oldest hotel group, as stepping stones.

Delphina has eight coastal properties here and is still owned by the two families who founded it 30 years ago.

Our first stay is at Capo d’Orso, with 80 rooms set in a woodland leading to the sea.

A boat trip is the only way to appreciate the beauty of the Sardinian seas, and our next hotel has the perfect answer. Valle dell’Erica has its own elegant 1927 wooden sailing boat called La Pulcinella exclusively for guests.

It’s aboard La Pulcinella that we visit Budelli and cruise around other islands, dropping anchor in bays to swim in the warm waters.

A boat trip is the only way to appreciate the beauty of the Sardinian seas, says Rob. Pictured: Boats anchored near the shores of Budelli island

Pictured: The sandy shoreline at Licciola beach, located near Valle dell’Erica

Above, seafood dish spaghetti alle vongole

A delicious lunch of seafood pasta and crisp local Vermentino white wine is served on board.

On the way home, our deckhand flags down a passing Algida branded speedboat (Italy’s version of Wall’s ice cream), so we can buy Cornettos. A truly unforgettable day.

Most of our time staying at Erica is spent on the serene Licciola beach, or in its spa and saltwater swimming pools.

As we say goodbye to Sardinia, a member of the reception staff says: ‘Stessa spiaggia, stesso mare.’ She explains that this is a typical Italian summer farewell, imparting a simple wish to see you again next year at ‘the same beach, the same sea’.

Well, if the holiday gods shine on us, we will definitely be there again – and promise not to steal any of it.