The British Museum has confirmed that an employee has been dismissed after gold jewellery and gemstones were discovered missing, stolen, or damaged.
Located in London, the British Museum is more than 260 years old and attracts visitors from around the world. Officials confirmed that the majority of the items in question were small and kept in storage.
None of the jewellery had recently been on display and was kept for academic purposes.
“This is a highly unusual incident. I know I speak for all colleagues when I say that we take the safeguarding of all the items in our care extremely seriously,” director Hartwig Fischer told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“We have already tightened our security arrangements and we are working alongside outside experts to complete a definitive account of what is missing, damaged and stolen. This will allow us to throw our efforts into the recovery of objects.”
London’s Metropolitan Police is investigating the incident and the museum will pursue a review of security.
More reading
Sentences handed down for Green Vault jewellery heist
Stolen Cambodian royal jewellery discovered in London
Long-lost jewellery discovered in shark-infested waters
Millions in jewellery mysteriously missing
Digging up jewellery: How ancient artisans help map human history
