- Thieves riding e-scooters stole two Bronze Age artifacts from the Ely Museum, police say.
- The stolen items, a gold torc necklace and bracelet, were among the museum's "most prized" objects.
Authorities are hunting for two people who stole 3,000-year-old gold artifacts from a museum in England.
Cambridgeshire police said in a statement that thieves stole a gold torc necklace and a gold bracelet dating from the Bronze Age from the Ely Museum on Tuesday. Police said the two suspects were riding "e-scooters" at the time of the burglary.
Security camera footage of the break-in obtained by Business Insider shows two people wearing hoods pushing their way through a window before hurrying through the inside of the museum.
Ellie Hughes, the museum's curator, said in a statement that the museum is "devastated" by the loss of the items, which were significant to the "local heritage of the region."
"It is a huge blow after the incredible support from the community in acquiring the torc in 2017," Hughes said. "As a culturally significant object, it cannot be replaced. Our priority now is working with the police to locate the stolen objects."
The torc, a type of rigid necklace described by the museum as its "most prized object," was valued at about 220,000 pounds when the museum acquired it in 2017, according to BBC.
The torc weighs 730 grams and is made up of almost entirely pure gold, the museum says. A metal detectorist found the piece in 2015 while searching in a field. Museum historians believe the torc was buried to hide it from invading enemies or as an offering to a god.
The thieves broke into the museum at about 2 a.m., according to police. Detective Kiri Mazur said police released the footage hoping someone would recognize the two suspects.
"I am very keen to hear from anyone who may be able to provide information or saw two people on e-scooters in the vicinity of the museum, car park and pedestrian walkways at the back of the museum, the council offices, and the Grange Car Park, between 12 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Tuesday," Mazur said.