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An internal investigation at the British Museum has found that the institution was in violation of the UK’s Public Records Act after nearly 2,000 items went missing from its collection
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 16 Aug 2024
The British Museum was found to be in violation of the UK’s Public Records Act by an internal investigation Credit: Canva
An internal investigation at London’s British Museum has concluded that the UK institution broke the law after thousands of artefacts disappeared from its collection.
According to the investigation, the museum was in violation of the UK’s Public Records Act (PRA), which mandates that museums and libraries meet a set of “basic standards of preservation, access and professional care,” for the artefacts in their collection, as well as ensuring these objects are overseen by “suitably qualified” staff members.
Institutions that don’t meet these standards risk their collections being transferred to another facility or the National Archives, The Times reports. However, it seems unlikely that the British Museum will face such drastic measures, despite its failure to comply with the PRA.
In a 2024 report, British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan and former chancellor and chairman of the trustees George Osborne addressed the museum’s wrongdoings and stated that a “number of actions are currently being considered by management,” including working alongside the National Archives to regain compliance with the law.
The investigation comes after senior curator Peter Higgs was dismissed in 2023 after allegedly stealing and selling more than 1,500 items, worth an estimated £101,000 (US$130,000, €119,000) from the museum’s archives. A further 350 items had also been defaced, with parts such as gold and gemstones, having been removed.
According to reports in the Daily Telegraph, an unnamed antiquities expert had previously alerted the British Museum to its security breach, informing museum officials that items matching those in its collection had begun to appear on auction site eBay, with some items listed for as little as £40 (US$51, €46). However, these warnings were largely unacted upon.
Approximately 600 objects have since been recovered, with help from the FBI.
“Through clever detective work and a network of well-wishers we’ve achieved a remarkable result: more than 600 of the objects are back with us, and a further 100 have been identified – in total almost half the stolen items that we could recover,” said Osborne.
As well as triggering the investigation, the scandal is also believed to have prompted longtime British Museum director Hartwig Fischer’s resignation in August 2023 following Higg’s dismissal.
While Higgs has yet to be charged, police investigations are ongoing. The British Museum has also taken legal action against the former curator, suing Higgs for the alleged thefts.
Museums and galleries
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