A French couple face up to six years in jail for taking around 88lb of sand from a beach on the Italian island of Sardinia.

Italian finance police said they discovered the white sand from Chia beach stashed in 14 plastic bottles in the couple’s car during a check as it boarded a ferry Sardinia to France on August 15.

The couple told police they did not know it was against the law to take the island’s famed sand, which is protected as a public good.

If found guilty, they face one to six years in jail for aggravated theft.

It is not clear when a trial may be held.

Italian police said the theft was one of the biggest revealed during a recent crackdown.