Officials have said that a woman wearing a burqa was stopped by Italian police under a recent ordinance that bans any clothing preventing identification of the wearer.

ANSA reported on Monday that although the foreign-born woman was identified by police after a series of spot checks, she is still liable for a $660 fine under the controversial decree which took effect in January.

Novara Police Chief Paolo Cortese said, "The ordinance is being applied in the instant case because the woman was inside the post office at the time, which is a public building."

ANSA further said, Novara mayor Massimo Giordano of the Northern League party introduced the ordinance under the 1975 national anti-terrorism law forbidding any mask or clothing making it impossible to identify the wearer.

His intention in issuing the ordinance was to deter women from covering up, Mayor Giordano said.

Giordano said, "There are still some people that refuse to understand that our community in Novara does not accept and does not want people going around wearing the burqa. It's the only tool at our disposal to stop behavior that makes the already difficult process of integration even harder." (With Inputs from Agencies)