Police still silent on haul from heist at St Fagans

MORE than two weeks on from a heist at a popular Welsh museum, authorities are refusing to confirm which items were stolen.

- CONOR GOGARTY Investigations editor [e-mail]

The Museum of Welsh Life, St Fagans, Cardiff

(Rob Browne)

Two men have been charged with burglary after an early-hours raid on October 6 saw “very significant” gold jewellery dating to the Bronze Age snatched from the St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff.

But the jewellery is yet to be found and there has been no public confirmation of exactly which, or even how many, items were taken - in stark contrast to Paris’ Louvre, which quickly released a detailed description of every object stolen in last week's robbery.

St Fagans is run by taxpayer-fund-ed Amgueddfa Cymru (Museum Wales) which in the wake of the heist said: “These items don’t belong to us at the museum, they belong to the people of Wales.”

Some of those people would undoubtedly like to know what the items are, but we should make clear it is not Amgueddfa Cymru that has decided to withhold that information. The organisation told us it was acting in line with advice from South Wales Police.

When the Western Mail asked the force why that advice had been given, its spokeswoman said: “Searches for the stolen items are continuing. We understand the interest in the items and further information will be considered for release when searches have concluded.”