Extortion by Colosseum's costumed centurians cast a shadow on our day in Rome

We were told to hand over €25 or my camera would be destroyed

Hannah Fearn (left) in Rome in 2002 – moments before the extortion attempt

They must have seen me coming. Naive, pale-skinned and barely out of my teens, I was the perfect victim. I was also carrying an expensive camera.

As my friend and I approached the Colosseum in August 2002, two handsome centurians came swooping in. There was flirting, no doubt. One of the men drew us into a pose while the other took my camera, to take a picture of us together. As the tanned centurian broke from the embrace, the mood changed. We were told to hand over €25 or my camera would be destroyed.

Conmen such as these are still on the streets of Rome. The crackdown is well overdue. I refused to pay up. I began to shout to attract attention. In the confusion that followed I snatched my camera and we ran. The feeling of being exploited cast a dark shadow over our day. If police measures stop one tourist being tricked, they will be well worth the cost.