No damage caused to archaeological site.

A 33-year-old Australian tourist was caught driving a rented moped around the Pompeii archaeological site, Italian media reported on Thursday.

The man had entered the archaeological park illegally, through the gate of Porta Vesuvio, when he was noticed by custodians who alerted police, reports Napoli Today.

The tourist was stopped at Porta Anfiteatro by the carabinieri who, after ascertaining that no damage was caused, cited him for unauthorised access to the archaeological park.

The man reportedly apologised to the officers, claiming he did not know it was prohibited to drive a motorino around the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

*In response to the statement released by carabinieri and subsequent reports in Italian media, Pompeii clarified on Thursday that the incident involved the tourist travelling on external dirt roads - normally used by vehicles involved in excavation work - outside the walls of the ancient city.

*This article was updated to include the clarification from Pompeii archaeological park. Photo credit: wjarek / Shutterstock.com.