British Museum worker accused of stealing artefacts 'not cooperating with investigation'

A former British Museum worker under suspicion over the disappearance of around 2,000 items is not cooperating with an investigation, the institution has said.

Senior curator Peter Higgs was sacked after the items, worth millions of pounds, were found to be missing, stolen or damaged.

He had worked at the institution in London for 30 years but is accused of stealing artefacts including Roman gems.

Some of the artefacts were sold on eBay for as little as a few pounds.

Mr Higgs has denied any wrongdoing, and his family have said he is “not happy about it at all”.

The museum is taking legal action and a police investigation is under way.

But museum chairman George Osborne said the former staff member the organisation believes is behind the artefacts vanishing had been refusing to help with the probe.

“One of the things that we’ve got to get to the bottom of is exactly the motivation of the individual who we believe is responsible, but he has not been talking or cooperating,” he told the BBC.

Mr Osborne told the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in October: “We were the victims of an inside job by someone, we believe, who over a long period of time was stealing from the museum and the museum put trust in.

“There are lots of lessons to be learnt as a result of that, the member of staff has been dismissed by us.”

Mr Higgs’ son, Greg, previously told The Telegraph his father had “not done anything” and was “not happy about it at all”.

“He’s lost his job and his reputation and I don’t think it was fair,” he said.

“It couldn’t have been [him]. I don’t think there is even anything missing as far as I’m aware.”

Sky News has attempted to contact Mr Higgs.

Mr Osborne made his latest comment after it was revealed an independent review into the alleged thefts had recommended the museum completes the documentation of its collection and closes any gaps in the registration of objects.

The review, led by Sir Nigel Boardman, the chief constable of British Transport Police Lucy D’Orsi and deputy High Court judge Ian Karet, says that of the 2,000 items, some 1,500 are missing or stolen.

Around 350 items have had portions removed, such as gold mounts for gems.

According to the report, museum officials believe these portions are likely to be unrecoverable because they have likely been sold for scrap.

Around 140 items have been damaged by tool marks.

Of the 1,500 missing or stolen items, 351 items have already been returned and more than 300 further items have been identified.

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A key target of the alleged thefts, which took place over a long period of time, were unregistered items – mainly gems and jewellery – in the Department of Greece and Rome.

The museum’s interim director, Sir Mark Jones, previously admitted that one million artefacts were unregistered and announced steps to improve 2.4 million records.

The museum was alerted to suspicions of thefts in 2021 by academic and antiquities dealer Dr Ittai Gradel, but an initial investigation incorrectly concluded that there was no basis to the claims.

Mr Osborne added that the review showed the museum was “putting our own house in order”.

He said: “The British Museum was the victim of thefts over a long period, and we apologise again that this was allowed to happen.

“The ongoing police investigation means the full report cannot be published today, but we have accepted the recommendations in full, and have started to recover hundreds of the stolen items.”

The Metropolitan Police interviewed a man under caution in August. The force told Sky News its investigation was ongoing.

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