The business of being a Roman centurion, earning money by posing for photographs with tourists outside major sites such as the Colosseum, is set to become more professional with plans for new rules on costume, behaviour and pricing and a limit on centurion numbers.

A new register of centurions, who have recently been fighting over territorial rights at the Colosseum, will be drawn up and their numbers will be limited to 100, with no more than 20 allowed at any one site. Swearing and vulgar behaviour will be outlawed, and helmets, shields, chest-plates and swords will be closely regulated.

And in future all centurions will have to charge the same price, which has yet to be decided. Tourists currently pay at least 3 per snap, and a centurion is estimated to earn 70 a day on average during the busy summer season.