The Italian government is determined to “identify and sanction” a visitor to the Colosseum in Rome recorded carving his and his girlfriend’s names into the stonework of the 2,000-year-old building.

The message ‘Ivan + Hayley 23’ was marked on the building by a man using a set of keys, actions described by Italy’s culture minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano as “a sign of great incivility”.

The footage emerged on social media, Sangiuliano retweeting it, before announcing: “I consider it very serious, unworthy and a sign of great incivility that a tourist defaces one of the most famous places in the world, the Colosseum, to engrave the name of his fiancée. I hope that whoever did this will be identified and sanctioned according to our laws.”

The video shows a clearly identifiable tourist defacing a wall next to a girl, in front of other visitors, another American voice heard commenting in the background their apparent disapproval of the actions.

If identified by the authorities, according to the Italian news agency ANSA, the vandal faces a potential €15,000 (£12,875) fine and could even be sent to prison.

The Italian government recently announced plans to hit vandals with massive fines if they damage statues and cultural sites in the country, the compensation idea to pay for repairs and clean-ups.