It houses some of the most important historical objects, not just from the UK, but from communities around the world. Its exhibits include contested treasures, sacred artefacts and even human remains. Now that hundreds of items have been found to be missing from the British Museum, what does it tell us about how secure institutions like this really are?
David Batty, a senior reporter at the Guardian who has been reporting on the story, explains how there is no exact figure for the number of items the British Museum holds, and only a small selection are on display, with many objects not even catalogued. Arthur Brand, an art crime investigator, describes what it feels like to wander through a museum’s storage room, and how difficult they are to guard. He points out that the lack of cataloguing can make it hard to return smaller objects, while high-value art and precious objects sometimes make their way into the hands of mafia bosses and drug dealers, which brings its own difficulties.
Batty tells Hannah Moore that while other museums may also be at risk of thefts, the British Museum has come under fire from countries and communities who want contested artefacts returned. Could the thefts weaken the arguments for the institution holding on to objects such as the Parthenon marbles, and hasten their return?
Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA
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