Two tourists have been fined after a man hurled a scooter down Rome's historic steps - causing almost £21,000 worth of damage.
The incident happened on Friday last week at the famous Spanish Steps - Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti - and an astonished bystander captured the moment on video.
It was captured on video by a bystander at the popular tourist destination, which dates back to the 1790s.
An unidentified 29-year-old man is seen wheeling the electric scooter down the historic World Heritage Site, which has since banned visitors from sitting there.
But the man's 28-year-old sidekick, who was walking with her own scooter, then hurled it down the iconic Spanish Steps where it landed abruptly.
This prompts laughter from the person behind the camera.
La Repubblica reports she threw the scooter “for sheer amusement,” causing some of the marble steps to crack.
Italian cops traced the down the pair and fined them the equivalent of more than £340 each.
The pair, reported to be from the US, also faced a ban from the monument.
In addition to €25,000 (£21,000) fine, their scooters were also confiscated Corriere Della Sera reported.
A 37-year-old engineer visiting Rome from Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, drove a Maserati SUV down the landmark reported The Guardian.
He was later caught by police in Milan and blamed his GPS device, which he insisted had sent him to the wrong street.
The driver was charged with damaging the historic site and made to pay for its repair.
Reports say the sports car fractured the 16th and 29th steps while other sections of the staircase were also chipped.
The marble staircase was once a hugely popular place to sit and enjoy an Italian Gelato.
But over the years become discoloured by pollution and stained by food, wine and coffee spills.
The Spanish Steps underwent a £1.2million (€1.5m) restoration project in 2015 to return it to how it looked in 1725, when unveiled by Pope Benedict XIII.
Tourist numbers have now returned to pre-pandemic levels where tourists descend on cultural landmarks.
But it has seen more tourists flouting rules set by authorities
Two Dutch visitors were fined £855 (€1,000) for getting into the waters of the Trevi fountain, which happened regularly before the pandemic.
And a 39-year-old Argentinian man was charged with breaking strict no-fly zone rules after he crashed a drone a drone into the roof of monument in the centre of the city.
In 2019 tourists were banned from sitting on the steps to clamp down on rowdy visitors.
The landmark featured in the 1953 film Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.
It is one of Rome's major architectural masterpieces and was designed by Francesco de Sanctis between 1723 and 1726.
