Gladiator con-men arrested after forcing Irish tourist to pay €250 for Colosseum snap

The trio were arrested on suspicion of extorting money from tourists near the Colosseum.

The men would allegedly dress up as gladiators and pose for selfies with tourists by the iconic Roman landmark before demanding up to €500 from them.

One Irishman told the scammers that he had no money after being photographed. They then allegedly forced him to take out money from an ATM.

When he returned with €200, the men sent him back to the ATM to withdraw €50.

Two men are under house arrest while another is in custody, the Irish Mirror reports.