British tourist who carved name on Colosseum could face five years in prison
A British tourist alleged to have carved his name into Rome’s historic Colosseum could face five years behind bars for the act of vandalism.
Earlier this month a video of a man wearing a flowery shirt appearing to use a key to scratch his and a woman's monikers into the 1,900 year-old landmark went viral.
It caused worldwide scorn and triggered a police investigation.
Their identities are known only as Ivan and Hayley as they were seen scratched into the side of the ancient amphitheatre.
The suspect is believed to be a fitness instructor from around Bristol, although investigations are currently ongoing.
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Italian police have strict rules on vandalism in the city (AP)If found guilty, he faces a fine of around £13,000 but could also face five years in an Italian prison under the country’s strict laws.
A Carabinieri police source in Rome said: "The people we are looking for have left the country but we are sure we will have their precise location by the end of the day.
"I can confirm they are British residents, and the man is younger than the woman.
“They are travelling together and arrived in Italy on June 21 and left on June 26.
“The man is of Bulgarian origin and the woman British. They were staying in a bed and breakfast on the outskirts of Rome and we have their details.
"We are happy we have identified the male but the woman has not been identified as she is not seen in the video taken at the Colosseum but they are travelling together."
The vandal was caught on camera and shared on social media (@rytz5873 / YouTube)
He scratched two names on the 1,937 year old colosseum (Youtube/@rytz5873)The suspect was filmed in the act by an American tourist, Ryan Lutz of Orange, California, who posted the video on social media after he said Colosseum guards failed to show interest in his footage.
It was at least the fourth time this year that such graffiti was reported at the Colosseum.
Back in 2014 a tourist was fined 20,000 euros (approximately £17,000) after allegedly scratching their initials into the wall of the Colosseum.
A year later in a separate incident, two women were arrested in Rome after allegedly scratching their initials into the wall of the Colosseum and taking a selfie.
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The women were accused of using a coin to engrave the letters J and N into the historic site. Police charged them with "aggravated damage on a building of historical and artistic interest".
In recent years a number of holiday destinations have been attempting to crack down on unruly tourists.
Bali recently announced it would be after a string of incidents where people stepped over the line.
In February a tourist sparked outrage after mooning on top of a sacred mountain, Mount Agung, appalling locals in the process.
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