British Empire artefacts stolen from city museum

A CITY council says it is “deeply saddened” by the theft of more than 600 artefacts from its museum collection.

- CLAIRE HAYHURST

> The B Bond warehouse in Bristol, into which police say, a group of four unknown males gained entry and stole museum artefacts sometime between 1am-2am on September 25

(Paul Gillis / Reachplc)

Four men are believed to have gained entry to a building in the Cumberland Road area of Bristol, which houses Bristol Museums’ British Empire and Commonwealth collection, between 1am and 2am on September 25.

Avon and Somerset Police described the burglary as high value, with items taken having a “significant cultural value’, and said officers are trying to trace four people captured in the area on CCTV.

Items stolen include medals, badges and pins, necklaces, bangles and rings, decorative items such as carved ivory, silver items and bronze figurines.

Natural history pieces, including geological specimens, are also believed to have been taken in the burglary.

Bristol City Council released images of an elephant carved in ivory, an ivory statue of the Buddha, a ship's lantern and an Emancipation token.

Philip Walker, head of culture and creative industries at Bristol City Council, said the theft was discovered by staff the following day.

He said: “It was pretty devastating, it looked like it had been ransacked.

“There were boxes that had been opened and spilled, the contents - if they hadn’t been taken - spilled on the floor, the shelves in disarray and the collections scattered around.