Hundreds of artefacts have been stolen from a major British museum in a heist just weeks before the high-profile theft at the Louvre in Paris.
Police in England revealed overnight that more than 600 artefacts relating to the British Empire and Commonwealth had been taken from Bristol Museum’s collection.
Avon and Somerset Police released CCTV images of four men they want to speak to.
They said the items were taken from a building in the Cumberland Road area of Bristol, about 190 kilometres west of London, between 1 and 2am on Thursday, September 25.
It wasn’t clear why police were only now appealing for help from the public.
“The theft of many items which carry a significant cultural value is a significant loss for the city,” officer in charge of the case Detective Constable Dan Burgan said.
“These items, many of which were donations, form part of a collection that provides insight into a multi-layered part of British history, and we are hoping that members of the public can help us to bring those responsible to justice.
“So far, our enquiries have included significant CCTV enquiries as well as forensic investigations and speaking liaising with the victims.”
The heist at the Louvre on October 19 sparked global headlines about the world’s most famous museum, with thieves making off with eight pieces from France’s Crown Jewels worth about $157 million.
It is not known what the value is of the items stolen from Bristol Museum.
The port city of Bristol played a major role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Ships based in the city transported at least half a million Africans into slavery before Britain outlawed the slave trade in 1807. Many 18th-century Bristolians helped fund the trade and shared in the profits, which also built handsome Georgian houses and buildings that still dot the city.
It was the focus of international attention and debate in 2020, when anti-racism demonstrators toppled a statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston from its plinth in the city and dumped it in the River Avon.
The vandalised statue was later fished out and put on display in a museum.
– Additional reporting by the Associated Press
