‘Some of two,000 objects stolen’ from British Museum have been ‘recovered’

Some of the treasures that the British Museum worry have been stolen have began to be recovered.

Chairman of the well-known UK museum George Osborne confirmed that among the objects believed to be stolen have been introduced again into possession of the museum.

But he informed BBC Radio 4’s Today programme “more could have been done” to handle the thefts sooner, reports the BBC.

A member of museum employees suspected of involvement has been sacked.

Mr Osborne – who was appointed as chair of the museum in June 2021 – informed the radio present “we have already started to recover some of the stolen items”.

He mentioned: “We believe we have been the victim of thefts over a long period of time and frankly more could have been done to prevent them,” he mentioned.

Mr Osborne additionally mentioned it was “possible” that “groupthink” amongst senior museum employees meant they “could not believe that there was an insider” stealing treasures.

Hartwig Fischer, the museum director, will step down after saying a 2021 investigation was mishandled.

Mr Fischer, who has held the place of director since 2016, confirmed on Friday that he would go away his function as soon as an interim alternative had been appointed. He was beforehand as a result of step down in 2024.

In an announcement he mentioned: “It is evident that the British Museum did not respond as comprehensively as it should have in response to the warnings in 2021, and to the problem that has now fully emerged. The responsibility for that failure must ultimately rest with the director.”

On Thursday Express.co.uk confirmed {that a} man has been interviewed by police in reference to the case. The Metropolitan Police interviewed the person on Wednesday, August 24 following the alleged thefts on the British Museum.

The power confirmed no arrests have been made of their investigation of the case the place it’s thought the objects might have been offered at knock-down costs or melted down over the course of years.

Met Police confirmed the interview with the person to Express.co.uk and mentioned enquiries proceed.

A spokesman for the power mentioned: “A man was interviewed on Wednesday, 23 August under caution having voluntarily attended a police station. We will not be providing any further information at this time. Enquiries continue.”

The Telegraph reported that sources throughout the museum consider the variety of lacking artefacts is greater than 1,000 and “closer to 2,000”, nevertheless the world-renowned establishment has but to verify the exact determine.

The majority of the objects in query had been small items saved in a storeroom belonging to one of many museum’s collections. They embrace gold jewelry and gems of semi treasured stones and glass courting from the fifteenth century BC to the nineteenth century AD.

None had lately been on public show they usually had been saved primarily for tutorial and analysis functions.