Theft from museums, galleries and heritage sites is a growing problem, delegates at the Museums Association (MA) conference were warned last month.
Over the past 18 months, the sector has been rocked by numerous incidences of the theft of rhino horns from museums. The Wenlok Jug was stolen from the Stockwood Discovery Centre, while more than £53,000 worth of coins, medals and watches were taken from Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
Speaking at the conference, Bill Seaman, assistant head of museums at Norfolk Museums and Archaeology, said stealing from museums was a particular problem in the east of England, where several organisations have been targeted, despite having good track records of preventing thefts from their venues.
The most high-profile of these was the theft of 18 Chinese artworks from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, in April.
But the problem is not confined to one region. Just days before the conference, the key for an internal lock to a drawbridge was stolen from the Tower of London.
A spokeswoman for Historic Royal Palaces said: “It would not have been possible to gain access to the Tower with any of these keys and at no point was the security of the Tower at risk. All affected locks were immediately changed.”
A staff disciplinary procedure is under way after an internal investigation found that security procedures were not carried out to the expected standard.
Elsewhere, a portable writing desk once owned by author George Eliot was stolen from a glass display cabinet at Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery on Remembrance Sunday.
But Nick Poole, chief executive of the Collections Trust, told delegates at the MA conference that thefts from museums had been sensationalised by the media.
The trust is delivering a series of free seminars to promote good practice in museum security, funded by Arts Council England.
Over the past 18 months, the sector has been rocked by numerous incidences of the theft of rhino horns from museums. The Wenlok Jug was stolen from the Stockwood Discovery Centre, while more than £53,000 worth of coins, medals and watches were taken from Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
Speaking at the conference, Bill Seaman, assistant head of museums at Norfolk Museums and Archaeology, said stealing from museums was a particular problem in the east of England, where several organisations have been targeted, despite having good track records of preventing thefts from their venues.
The most high-profile of these was the theft of 18 Chinese artworks from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, in April.
But the problem is not confined to one region. Just days before the conference, the key for an internal lock to a drawbridge was stolen from the Tower of London.
A spokeswoman for Historic Royal Palaces said: “It would not have been possible to gain access to the Tower with any of these keys and at no point was the security of the Tower at risk. All affected locks were immediately changed.”
A staff disciplinary procedure is under way after an internal investigation found that security procedures were not carried out to the expected standard.
Elsewhere, a portable writing desk once owned by author George Eliot was stolen from a glass display cabinet at Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery on Remembrance Sunday.
But Nick Poole, chief executive of the Collections Trust, told delegates at the MA conference that thefts from museums had been sensationalised by the media.
The trust is delivering a series of free seminars to promote good practice in museum security, funded by Arts Council England.
