Night raid at the museum as £220,000 worth of Bronze Age jewellery dating back 3,000 years is stolen by thieves
Gold jewellery dating back 3,000 years has disappeared after thieves raided a museum.
A neck ring and a bracelet, which were both crafted during the Bronze Age, were taken from Ely Museum in Cambridgeshire in the early hours of Tuesday.
The ring, known as a torc, is thought to be worth around £220,000 and is made from 26oz of almost pure gold.
Due to its size, it was regarded as the best discovered in England in more than a century when it was dug from a field and donated to the museum in 2017.
The gold bracelet is about 3,000 years old and was stolen from Ely Museum in Cambridgeshire in the early hours of Tuesday
The torc was larger than usual examples and was made of 730g of almost pure gold
Elie Hughes, curator at Ely Museum (pictured), said: 'We are devastated by the loss to the museum and to the local heritage of the region.'
A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Police said they were looking for two suspects on e-scooters who are believed to be involved in the burglary.
Elie Hughes, curator at Ely Museum, said: 'We are devastated by the loss to the museum and to the local heritage of the region.'
Referring to the torc, she added: 'As a culturally significant object, it cannot be replaced. Our priority now is working with the police.'
