Cars and steps do not mix: why The Italian Job has a lot to answer for

A driver who got stuck on the Spanish Steps in Rome is the latest in a series of similar vehicular misadventures

The 1969 caper The Italian Job spawned a Hollywood remake, helped drive the cool-factor of the Mini and launched decades of dad-jokes about bloody doors being blown off. It may also have inspired one driver who got stuck trying to travel down the Spanish Steps in Rome this week.

The film ended with Michael Caine teetering on the edge of a cliff in a coach, claiming to have a great idea". In Rome, the 80-year-old's navigational error on his way to work ended with emergency services having to bring in a crane to winch his vehicle off the Italian capital's landmark.