Rome mayor furious at British embassy's warning to tourists about thieves "Rome does not deserve to be the victim of alarmism," Mr Marino said. The incidence of petty crime in several European and American cities is much higher than in Rome. The capital is complex like many big cities but it is hospitable. In May this year Rome made international headlines in a tourist rip-off scandal after British tourists Roger Bannister, his brother Stephen and their wives Wendy and Joyce, from Stourbridge in the West Midlands, were charged 64 euros for four ice creams they ordered on the last day of their holiday in Rome. The then mayor Gianni Alemanno intervened immediately and issued a formal apology before inviting the four travellers to return as guests of the city. The incident set off a debate in Italy about scams and rip-offs and now the threat of street crime has further damaged the city's treasured image of La Dolce Vita. The British Embassy declined to comment on Sunday but in his statement Mr Broomfield said Italian media had noted the high level of criminal activity over the summer tourist season, often involving gangs which include children. The warning explicitly urges tourists to remain alert around the main railway station and on the number 64 bus, which travels from the station to St Peter's Square, as well as trains from the international airport Fiumicino. "Targets are often hassled and jostled to distract them while other members of the gang go into action," the consul warned. When criminals are seen in buses and underground carriages often Italian members of the public will cry out warnings: these should be taken seriously.  According to the latest figures there were 6,000 reports of pick pocketing and bag snatching in Rome last year and more than 200 thieves were arrested between January and July this year. There were 148,000 incidents of pick pocketing reported across Italy in 2012 - an increase of 11 pewr cent. Mr Broomfield also urged British nationals not to "brandish expensive iphones" as they attracted "unwanted attention." But his attempt to alert his compatriots has triggered a backlash among Romans who view the remarks as derogatory. Massimo Ghini, an actor and former Rome councillor, accused the British government of repeating an age-old stereotype and said there was no comparison between Rome and crime in other major cities like New York, Paris or London. The British should remember the Romans shaped Britain's history. "When they were wearing bearskins, we were building roads and acqueducts," Mr Ghini said. Evidently they have never forgiven us.