Two gold items dating from the bronze age have been stolen from Ely Museum in Cambridgeshire.
Thieves broke into the museum in the early hours of Tuesday 7 May and stole the East Cambridgeshire gold torc and a gold bracelet.
The museum has been closed while police investigate the theft, but hopes to reopen to the public on 10 May.
Detective inspector Kiri Mazur of Cambridgeshire Police said she was looking for two suspects on e-scooters who are believed to be involved in the burglary.
Mazur said: “The theft of these items is despicable, and we are focused on identifying the offenders, tracing the items, and returning them to their rightful place. We are working closely with staff at Ely Museum to follow all lines of enquiry.”
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Investigators are focusing on the museum, and the area immediately around it, including its car park and nearby council offices, between 12am and 2am.
Cambridgeshire Police has also circulated CCTV footage of the burglary. Mazur said: “We have released this CCTV, not in the hope someone will recognise the figures, but to try to jog memories and encourage anyone with information to come forward.
“I am very keen to hear from anyone who may be able to provide information or saw two people on e-scooters in the vicinity of the museum, car park and pedestrian walkways at the back of the museum, the council offices and the Grange Car Park."
The East Cambridgeshire gold torc is described as the museum’s “most prized object”. Around 3,000 years old, it measures 126cm and weighs 730g of almost pure gold, making it one of the longest and heaviest torcs ever found in Britain.
The torc was found in 2015 in a ploughed farmer’s field and reported to a Finds Liaison Officer. It was acquired by Ely Museum in 2017 following a fundraising campaign.
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The gold bracelet that was stolen is about 3,000 years old and was found in 2011 in East Cambridgeshire by a metal detectorist.
“We are devastated by the loss to the museum and to the local heritage of the region,” said Ely Museum curator Elie Hughes. “It is a huge blow after the incredible support from the community in acquiring the torc in 2017. Our priority now is working with the police to locate the stolen objects.”
The purchase of the torc was supported with a grant of £10,000 from the Museums Association’s Beecroft Bequest, alongside funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Arts Council England, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Art Fund, the Headley Trust and local donations.
Neil Mackay, head of finance at the MA, said: “As a funder of the acquisition of the torc, we share the museum’s anger and sadness at this theft.
“The Beecroft Bequest helps to fund acquisitions such as this so that they can be enjoyed by the public; it is very disappointing that it has been stolen and we very much hope that it can be recovered and go back on public display as soon as possible.”
The museum is working with the police. It asks anyone with information about the crime to contact the police through their web chat service quoting Operation Lacunar or call them on 101. Information can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
