The director of the British Museum, Hartwig Fischer, has introduced he's stepping down with instant impact following alleged thefts of artefacts from the central London establishment.

Mr Fischer stated the state of affairs is "of the utmost seriousness" and he has "sadly come to the conclusion" that his presence is "proving a distraction".

The museum earlier sacked a senior curator after close to 2,000 artefacts, value tens of millions of kilos, have been believed to have been stolen.

Mr Fischer, a German artwork historian, stated it was "evident that the British Museum did not respond as comprehensively as it should have" in response to "warnings in 2021" about an issue that has now "fully emerged".

"The responsibility for that failure must ultimately rest with the director," he stated.

Earlier this week it emerged {that a} man had been interviewed by the Metropolitan Police following the alleged thefts.

Dr Ittai Gradel, a Roman antiquities skilled who had considerations and tried to warn the museum, stated Mr Fischer had "done the right thing, the honourable thing, and he deserves credit for that at least".

But it has been a tough interval, he added.

Dr Gradel Sky News: "It has been very, very hard, especially those wasted two years when I banged my head against the British Museum's wall and I just couldn't get people to listen despite the fact that the evidence I had gathered was absolutely incontrovertible."

He continued: "No innocent explanation was even remotely possible for the evidence I sent them, and yet it was ignored, and I never understood it.

"I nonetheless do not absolutely perceive how this was doable, or how they may behave like that. It has been extremely irritating."

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In his resignation assertion, Mr Fischer stated he had "misjudged" some feedback he made about Dr Gradel.

He stated: "I wish to express my sincere regret and withdraw those remarks."

Mr Fischer beforehand stated an "individual who raised concerns" had "many more items in his possession".

He added: "It's frustrating that that was not revealed to us as it would have aided our investigations."

Dr Gradel stated he had thought-about taking authorized recommendation however stated Mr Fischer "has now retracted those comments and apologised to me and I accept that".

Former chancellor George Osborne, who chairs the museum's trustees, stated "no one has ever doubted Hartwig's integrity, his dedication to his job, or his love for the museum".

He added: "I am clear about this: we are going to fix what has gone wrong. The museum has a mission that lasts across generations. We will learn, restore confidence and deserve to be admired once again."