600 artefacts stolen from Bristol’s British Empire collection in daring heist

More than 600 items from a collection documenting the links between Britain and countries in the former British Empire were stolen from a UK museum in September, police said Thursday.

Avon and Somerset police have launched an appeal for information about four men captured on CCTV images on September 25, outside a building in the southwestern city of Bristol which housed items from the collection.

“More than 600 artefacts of various descriptions were taken by the offenders,” police said in a statement about the theft from the British Empire and Commonwealth Collection.

“The theft of many items which carry a significant cultural value is a significant loss for the city,” said the officer in the case, Dan Burgan.

“These items, many of which were donations, form part of a collection that provides insight into a multilayered part of British history.”

Police said they wanted to talk to four unidentified men, all wearing caps or hoodies, seen in the CCTV images carrying bags in the early hours.