Thieves cut a hole in the floor of a museum in an “audacious” heist to steal a haul of “priceless” military silver antiques.
Staff at the Royal Lancers & Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum noticed a number of historic items had been stolen when they came into work last Sunday and phoned the police.
During a search, which involved cabinets being moved, it was noticed that the thieves had drilled a hole upwards through the ceiling to get access to a cabinet containing the antiques.
Items stolen include a distinctive parcel and gilt rosewater dish that is understood to be the sister piece to the Wimbledon women’s singles trophy.
Other items include the Hurlingham Grand Military Polo trophy, statuettes of mounted soldiers and a cavalry trumpet.
Steve Cox, curator for the Royal Lancers & Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum, said: “It’s disgusting that they’ve taken history from the people who have served and fought for this country.
Some of the items stolen by the burglars— (Nottinghamshire Police)
“The items they have taken are priceless to the museum. How do you put a value on history?
“We’re upset about it, but we’re fighting back and we’re going to rebuild from what’s gone.”
Nottinghamshire Police believe the theft took place in the early hours of Sunday morning between 2.40am and 3.30am.
Detective Inspector Luke Todd, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was an audacious, planned, and targeted attack on what is a wonderful historic building and was clearly very well organised.
More of the priceless items stolen by the thieves— (Nottinghamshire Police)
“The items that were stolen are not only high in monetary value but also high in sentimental value not only to the military, but also to the wider community in the area.
“These items are worth so much more to the museum than they are melted down in their silver form.
“So, I really want to ask anyone who may have any information, may have seen anything suspicious or has heard about someone trying to sell items like this to get in touch with us.
“You may think the information you have is irrelevant but could be exactly what we need to find those responsible.
“These criminals may think they’ve got away with a lot of silver at this moment in time, but they definitely haven’t got away with the crime.”
