17 August 2023 , 20:24
744
0
The neighbour of a man accused of stealing priceless artefacts from the British Museum has described seeing police outside his home.
Peter John Higgs, 56, was a curator of Mediterranean cultures at the world-famous museum in London until earlier this year - but is now facing questions after a number of items from the site's collection were discovered missing and damaged.
They include gold jewellery and semi-precious stones, as well as glass dating back to 1500 BC to the 19th century AD.
The museum has now begun an inquiry into the artefacts, and an investigation has been launched by the Metropolitan Police's economic crime unit.
Mr Higgs had worked at the British Museum since 1993 but was dismissed earlier this year (PA)Neighbours described seeing police officers at Mr Higgs' property on Wednesday morning. One said: "I saw two or three, heavy set uniformed police here yesterday morning... they were going into the house between 0700 and 0800. I could see they had Police on the back of their flak jackets but I had no idea what they were doing here." A Met Police spokesperson said no arrests had been made.
Sherlock Holmes Museum boss wins fight to evict brother from home in 10-year row
Mr Higgs had worked at the British Museum since 1993, and wrote a number of books to accompany their collections, but was dismissed this year. The missing items at the centre of the allegation are thought to have disappeared over a number of years, with some reported to have been found on eBay as far back as 2016. The museum said the artefacts had been kept in a storeroom and had not been on display recently.
Director Hartwig Fischer said: "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. The museum apologises for what has happened, but we have now brought an end to this - and we are determined to put things right. We have already tightened our security arrangements and we are working alongside outside experts to complete a definitive account of what is missing, damaged and stolen. This will allow us to throw our efforts into the recovery of objects.
Peter Higgs' family have denied the accusations, and his 21-year-old son, Greg, told The Telegraph that his father had "lost all faith in the museum" and "just wants a chance to live a normal life". A spokesperson for the Met Police said: "We have been working alongside the British Museum. There is currently an ongoing investigation – there is no arrest and enquiries continue." An independent review at the museum will be led by former museum trustee Sir Nigel Boardman, and Lucy D’Orsi, Chief Constable of the British Transport Police.