Authorities in Sardinia are harsher towards stoning tourists who steal sand from the crystal island beaches as souvenirs, and are fining up to 3,000 euros.

Earlier this week, a 40-year-old Italian, but living in the UK, was fined 1,000 euros after police caught it with a sand bottle from Gallura beach on the north of the island.

Perhaps even without knowing the seriousness of the violation, some tourists consider the sand so wonderful that they can not resist the idea to take them home. But the problem has touched Sardinia for years, with more than a ton of sand found in the luggage of tourists at Cagliari Airport just last summer.

This is despite the beach tables, which clearly warn tourists that it is forbidden to take sand.

Usually the sand is inserted in plastic bottles or bags, with the labels in which the name of the beach from where it is taken is written. Authorities say, although the practice seems harmless, it is not simply a breach, but also harms the environment on the island.

But there are also those repulsive sand thieves. In 2016, a woman who had taken sand from Budelli, a Sardinian beach, famous for its pink color, turned it back after 29 years. The pink color of sand is caused by a mixture of coral, granite and shell fragments.

Sardinia, which is very frequented by rich visitors, has miles of beautiful beaches and 28 of them have gained the status of "blue flag" in terms of cleanliness. / TCH /