A 51-year-old Scottish tourist has been reported for stealing stone fragments from the archaeological site of Pompeii during a guided night tour.
The Archaeological Park said the incident happened during one of its special evening visits, which allow smaller groups to view the ruins under artificial lighting.
According to officials, a tour guide saw the man pick up stones from the pavement and put them in his backpack. Security was immediately alerted, and the Carabinieri were notified.
Officers stopped the Scottish tourist shortly afterwards near the Villa dei Misteri train station, outside the site. They found five stones and a brick fragment in his bag.
The man told investigators he wanted to give the items to his son for his personal collection. He claimed he was unaware it was prohibited to remove anything from Pompeii.
Park director Gabriel Zuchtriegel praised the “attentive tour guide, the excellent security guards, and the Carabinieri” for their swift action.
Local Carabinieri commander Alessandro D’Auria said patrols and checks will be reinforced during the summer months, when visitor numbers peak.
Pompeii, buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, is one of the world’s most visited archaeological sites, attracting over three million people each year.
Italian law strictly forbids the removal of any object from the site to protect its heritage and prevent deterioration. In recent years, several similar thefts have been reported. Some items have been returned after offenders publicly admitted their mistake or blamed the Pompeii curse.
The stolen fragments in this case have been recovered and will be returned to their original location.
