Thieves snatched 3,000 year-old torc and bracelet from Ely Museum 'within 60 seconds', say police

Police investigating the theft of a gold torc and bracelet from a museum said security was up to scratch - and that thieves snatched the jewellery in less than 60 seconds.

The 3,000-year-old Bronze Age artefacts were stolen from Ely Museum in Cambridgeshire in the early hours of Tuesday, with two suspects filmed on CCTV.

Det Insp Kiri Mazur from Cambridgeshire Police, said the thieves appeared to have planned their raid.

"It appears they were on the scene for a minute at the absolute maximum," she said.

"It does appear that they knew exactly where the items were to go to them."

Despite the speed at which the criminals were able to enter the building, steal the items and leave, she said the museum was not to blame.

"The museum did seek expert advice. There were multiple security measures around the windows, there were multiple security measures around the cabinet.

"The alarm activation functioned exactly as it needed to have done and police were able to get to the scene extremely swiftly.

"There doesn't appear to be any deficit or lack at all in the security that was in place."

Since the theft, police have focused their enquiries on CCTV footage and identifying any potential witnesses.

The two suspects appeared to use e-scooters to carry out the crime, suggesting they may live locally, said Det Insp Mazur.

"It is clear that e-scooters were used by the suspects to arrive on and leave the scene. What isn't known at the moment is how far away from the scene they travelled.

"E-scooters are generally only used to travel short distances so that is forming part of the consideration when we decide on what lines of inquiry to focus on."

Historians are concerned that the jewellery may already have been melted down by the thieves.

Cambridgeshire Police have been working with specialist antiquity teams and the Metropolitan Police's centre of excellence as they investigate.

Det Insp Mazur added: "I have been in touch with a number of partners who specialise in this area of both crime and object tracing and identification.

"It is a possibility that the stolen artefacts may be destroyed, it's also a possibility that they may remain intact but concealed from the public perhaps in a private collection or other location."

She appealed to the thieves directly, saying: "Please don't focus on the monetary value. The monetary value that has been publicised really is nominal. The true value of these items is not in the gold they are made of - it's in what they represent about our past, our cultural and our history.

"It's devastating to think they might have been destroyed. It is my hope they haven't been."

Should the artefacts have been melted down Cambridgeshire Police are urging anyone who may be offered a significant amount of gold to come forward.

Anyone with information should call police on 101.

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