Ely Museum's gold torc (Trustees of The British Museum)
The museum has been forced to close after Bronze Age gold objects were thought to have been stolen
Cambridgeshire’s Ely Museum has been forced to close today after what it said was the theft of items from its collection, including its most prized object.
The museum announced that it was broken into during the early hours of Tuesday 7 May, according to an announcement made on social media.
The museum said thieves stole its East Cambridgeshire gold torc and a gold bracelet, both dating from the Bronze Age.
The museum’s gold torc – a form of neck ring – is thought to be about 3000 years old and is the largest of its kind ever found in Europe. The museum has called the item its ‘most prized object’. It was found in 2015 by a metal detectorist, and was valued at £220,000 in 2017. It was bought by the museum using a series of grants.
“We are devastated by the loss to the museum and to the local heritage of the region,” said Elie Hughes, the museum’s curator.
“It is a huge blow after the incredible support from the community in acquiring the torc in 2017. Our priority now is working with the police to locate the stolen objects.”
Police are currently investigating the theft, it said.
Det Insp Kiri Mazur is working with museum staff to relocate the items. Mazur said: “The theft of these items is despicable and we are focused on identifying the offenders, tracing the items, and returning them to their rightful place”.
