'We failed'...damning verdict on Louvre heist after security guards fled and police were too slow

MINISTERS held crisis talks at the Louvre yesterday after raiders humiliated France by stealing eight priceless jewels from the world's most popular art museum.

- By Peter Allen in Paris

The four gang members were still at large last night following their brazen seven-minute heist on Sunday morning.

They used an extendable ladder to reach a window, broke in and grabbed France's “crown jewels”, including an imperial tiara containing 2,000 diamonds.

Deplorable

The Louvre was shut for the second day in a row yesterday as interior minister Laurent Nunez and his culture colleague Rachida Dati met inside to try to identify what went wrong. Justice minister Gerald Darmanin later admitted: “We failed and presented a deplorable image of France.”