British Museum admits to breaking UK law after missing artefact report

The British Museum has concluded its internal investigation and determined that it broke the law after discovering last year that thousands of artefacts had gone missing from its collection.

Last December, the museum revealed that approximately 2,000 items were unaccounted for, including jewellery made of gold and semi-precious stones.

The revelation prompted an internal audit, which has now confirmed that the museum failed to comply with UK legislation governing the proper care of national treasures.

According to The Times, UK museums and libraries are mandated by the Public Records Act to “meet basic standards of preservation, access, and professional care”, with items required to be in “the care of suitably qualified staff.”

Organisations that fail to uphold these standards risk having their collections transferred to another institution or handed over to the National Archives. However, a source from the British Museum reportedly stated that there is no sign the museum will face this outcome, despite openly acknowledging its wrongdoings.

So far, more than 600 of the items that had vanished from its storerooms have been tracked down and retrieved.

“Through clever detective work and a network of well-wishers we’ve achieved a remarkable result: more than 600 of the objects are back with us, and a further 100 have been identified – in total almost half the stolen items that we could recover,” said George Osborne, chairman of the British Museum trustees and former Chancellor.

Last year, a senior staff member suspected of involvement in the disappearance of the items was dismissed. It was later revealed to be Peter Higgs, its curator of Mediterranean cultures.

It emerged that expert antiquarians had warned the British Museum that items which matched those in its collection were appearing for sale on eBay, some for as little as £40 (€46), but these warnings were ignored.

The fallout of the thefts saw its then-director Hartwig Fischer resign, and the museum has since launched its own investigation into the thefts, as well as an appeal for the public’s help in their recovery.