A man from Ireland has been arrested after initials were carved into the Colosseum in Rome.
Italian security staff allegedly spotted the 32-year-old using a sharp object to scratch the letters into the almost 2,000-year-old structure.
According to La Repubblica police were called to the scene and charged the Irishman with damaging an asset of historical and cultural importance.
If found guilty, he could face a fine of more than €2,000 and up to one year in prison.
The marks, which were around 6cms in height, were said to have been etched into a pillar on the first level of the Flavian Amphitheatre.
It is not the first time a tourist has received police attention at the landmark and in 2014 a Russian visitor was handed a €20,000 fine and a four year suspended sentence for carving the letter K into the walls, the Independent reported.
In March 2015 American women were seen scratching the wall with a coin and were spoken to by police.
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