case scenario you would have to get a helicopter to them. so similar methods are used in the uk but this is quite special. running a zip line, and it s intriguing. incredible rescue, good to start the programme with some good news. jay o donnell, thank you very much indeed. thank you. the british museum was warned two years ago that objects from its collection were being put up for sale. an email exchange from 2021, seen by bbc news, reveals the museum s directors were told but responded by telling staff there was no evidence of the theft. belatedly, the museum now says that a large number of objects have been stolen one estimate is that more than 1500 objects are missing, stolen or damaged. a member of staff has since been dismissed. our culture editor katie razzall has the story: the e mails appear damning, suggesting that first the deputy director and then the director of the british museum were alerted to allegations of theft more than two years ago. the whistle blower was dr i
a dealer based in denmark who bought items on ebay which he later discovered were british museum property. he wrote tojonathan williams, the museum deputy, in february 2021, in fact, we now believe that more than 1,500 objects were stolen, damaged, or missing, in a crisis rapidly becoming very damaging to the british museum. this is already being reported across the globe in the media. the british museum is probably the world s most famous museum, so the culture department will be wanting to assure itself from the board of trustees and george osborne that it has
does that make it in terms of recovery? does that make it in terms of recove ? ~ . ~ , ., , recovery? well it makes it virtually impossible. recovery? well it makes it virtually impossible. you recovery? well it makes it virtually impossible, you can recovery? well it makes it virtually impossible, you can imagine - impossible, you can imagine something that has not been catalogued in the museum ends up being sold on ebay, purchased by a collector in france, sold to another dealer, and then my role is to contact the possessor of the stolen objects and say, where did you get this, and they say, well, how do we know it was stolen? how do we know it belonged to the british museum? we don t have that proof that will allow us to recover the object. find allow us to recover the ob ect. and how important allow us to recover the object. and how important is speed in an investigation like this? presumably if the e mails are right, there is been two years before the investigation began
be made public as quickly as possible. be made public as quickly as ossible. ., , , , possible. how typical is this? because i possible. how typical is this? because i remember - possible. how typical is this? because i remember when i i possible. how typical is this? i because i remember when i was possible. how typical is this? - because i remember when i was based in cairo, the cairo mimi museum had a similar problem where security was not good enough in areas where it stored its precious artefacts. is it just the british museum or do you think this is a worldwide problem? we get reports every single day of small museums and cultural institutions that have had thefts. 0ne institutions that have had thefts. one does not expect this from the british museum. but ten years ago i had a very similar case, almost exactly like this in sweden, where a curator was stealing objects from the swedish museum, the swedish library, various smaller museums, barring armani suits, cars, when he was
someone to interview and put pressure on to tell us where these objects may have gone. this pressure on to tell us where these objects may have gone. objects may have gone. this is no small museum objects may have gone. this is no small museum is objects may have gone. this is no small museum is at? objects may have gone. this is no small museum is at? this - objects may have gone. this is no small museum is at? this is - small museum is at? this is the british museum, when you consider the controversy surrounding some of the controversy surrounding some of the artefacts they hold, the argument goes that they are merely custodians. they are protecting and guarding a country s cultural heritage. how damaging is that to a museum s reputation? if the worldwide museum s reputation? if the worldwide press museum s reputation? if the worldwide press gotten - museum s reputation? if the worldwide press gotten a - museum s reputation? if the l worldwide press gotten a hold museum s