More than 600 culturally significant artefacts have been stolen from the Bristol Museum’s archive in what police have described as a high-value raid. The theft occurred in the early hours of 25 September at the museum’s archive facility in the Cumberland Basin area of the city. Items taken include military memorabilia, jewellery, natural history specimens, and carved figurines made of ivory, bronze, and silver. Detectives have released CCTV images of four men seen in the area following the theft of part of the museum’s British Empire and Commonwealth collection. Avon and Somerset Police said they want to speak to the men in connection with the incident. A museum spokesman said staff discovered the theft the following day and described the scene as devastating. “It looked like it had been ransacked,” he said. “Boxes had been opened and spilled, shelves were in disarray, and collections were scattered across the floor.” The stolen objects form part of the former British Empire and Commonwealth Museum collection, which was donated to Bristol Museum after the museum went into liquidation in 2013. Among the items taken were military badges and pins from the East India Company. The city council confirmed that the archive was broken into twice, with around 95% of the items stolen during the second raid. The CCTV images released by police relate to that second incident.
Why was the news released so late? The theft occurred in September, but the public appeal and detailed disclosure only came in December, apparently to allow police to complete initial inquiries and for museum staff to audit and confirm exactly what was missing.
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