'Ironic!' say netizens as British Museum sacks staffer after items found 'missing, stolen or damaged'
British Museum
The British Museum in London has sacked a staffer after items were reported"missing, stolen or damaged", adding that legal action will be taken against the former employee.
In a statement released, the museum informed thatmost of the items stolen includedgold,jewellery and gems of semi-precious stones and glass dating back from the15th Century BC to the 19th Century AD. The items werekept in a storeroom and none hadbeen put on public display recently. They were kept mainly foracademic and research purposes, the museum added, without elaborating.
"This is a highly unusual incident. I know I speak for all colleagues when I say that we take the safeguarding of all the items in our care extremely seriously,"British Museum director Hartwig Fischer was quoted as saying by BBC. He added that the museum would"throw our efforts into the recovery of objects".
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The Economic Crime Command of the Metropolitan Police has been called upon to investigate the matter while the museum has also initiated an independent review of security.Former trustee Sir Nigel Boardman and British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi will be leading the review, informed Sky.com.
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"The British Museum has been the victim of theft and we are absolutely determined to use our review in order to get to the bottom of what happened and ensure lessons are learnt. We are working alongside the Metropolitan Police," saidBoardman.
Netizens have a field day
Meanwhile, netizens had a field day upon hearing the news. Some said it was ironic that such an incident had taken place, given the history of British Musem while others remained sympathetic.
"Please tell us, British Museum, how you got all your items…? Asking assomeone with Indian ancestry living in South Africa," said one user, while another said, "Life comes at you fast, I've heard."
Meanwhile, a third said: "Perhaps they were just trying to return the items to their rightful owners."
The British Museum is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the UK despite its chequered history. It was opened in 1759 and attractsvisitors, especially during the peak summer tourist season. According to reports more than six million people visit it each year.
(With inputs from agencies)
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