Police in Bristol are searching for four men after more than 600 artefacts vanished from a museum storage site. Officers said the thieves broke in during the early hours of September 25 and took items with high cultural value. The force released images of the suspects and asked the public for information.
Bristol City Council said the missing collection includes medals, badges, jewellery, ivory carvings, silver pieces, bronze figures and geological samples. Philip Walker, who leads culture and creative industries for the council, said the artefacts reflect two centuries of links between Britain and former empire nations. He stressed that many countries consider these items important records of their past.
Detective Constable Dan Burgan said the loss hurts the city’s heritage. He explained that many of the objects came from public donors and help people understand complex parts of British history. He urged residents to share any details that could identify the suspects.
Bristol’s own history shapes the story. The city played a central role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and still carries that legacy. In 2020, protestors removed a statue of slave trader Edward Colston, which now appears in a museum exhibit.
