Scottish tourist caught stealing stones from Pompeii site

BarcelonaA 51-year-old Scottish tourist has been reported for stealing several stone fragments from the archaeological site of Pompeii in southern Italy, the Archaeological Park reported in a statement on Thursday. The incident occurred during a guided night tour, one of the activities the site offers to view the archaeological remains under artificial lighting and with fewer people than during the day. According to the same source, one of the guides noticed the visitor picking up pieces of stone from the pavement and putting them in his backpack. The alert led to the mobilization of security services and the notification of the Carabinieri, the Italian security force.

Officers located the man shortly after, near the Villa dei Misterio train station, outside the archaeological site. He was carrying five stones and a brick fragment in his backpack. The director of the Archaeological Park, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, congratulated "the attentive tour guide, the excellent security guards, and the Carabinieri" for their coordinated action, according to Efe.

The investigation confirmed that the tourist admitted he wanted to give the stones to his son for his personal collection and that he was unaware that it was prohibited to take fragments from the site. The local Carabinieri commander, Alessandro D'Auria, assured that controls will be reinforced in the coming days due to the high influx of visitors during the summer.

Pompeii, buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, is one of the most important and visited archaeological sites in the world, with more than three million visitors annually. Regulations prohibit the removal of any object or fragment in order to preserve the ancient heritage and prevent its deterioration. In recent years, the park has reported several similar attempts, some of which have resulted in the voluntary return of the stolen pieces after the offenders publicly acknowledged their error.