The 21-year-old, who was visiting the famous archaeological site, had crossed a protective railing and was seen using a tool to dislodge the mosaic tiles – called tesserae – from the floor mosaic inΒ the House of the Anchor.

Staff called local police, who detained the womanΒ as she tried to leave the area.
The incident caused some €3,000 worth of damage, the site’s manager estimated.Pompeii has long struggled with unscrupulous visitors whoΒ pocket relics as holiday souvenirs, or even to sell for a profit.
Last year a French touristΒ was finedΒ and given a suspended prison sentence after he tried to leave Pompeii with a backpack stuffed full of ancient artefacts.
In 2014, a Canadian touristΒ returned an artefact she had stolen from Pompeii’s amphitheatre during her honeymoon – 50 years earlier.
And several thieves have sent back their lootΒ claiming the relics are ‘cursed’.

An exhibition of the returned artefacts and accompanying letters of apology has recently been set up at the site in the hopes of deterring would-be thieves.