The British Museum, one of the UK’s most visited attractions, was partially closed to the public on Saturday after a former IT contractor, dismissed earlier that week, broke into the museum and disrupted several of its computer systems. The museum’s management stated that the break-in occurred on Thursday and led to the closure of its temporary exhibitions and parts of its permanent collection. Despite the damage, the museum assured the public that it was working to restore operations but noted that refunds and notifications had been sent to ticket holders affected by the closure.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the 50-year-old man, who had been fired as an IT contractor, was arrested on suspicion of burglary and criminal damage. Upon arrival, officers discovered that the man had trespassed into the museum and caused significant damage to its IT and security systems. Following his arrest, the police released the man on bail as they continue their investigation into the incident.
This event comes amid a challenging period for the British Museum, which has been dealing with the fallout from the theft of over 1,800 objects, allegedly taken by a former curator, Peter Higgs.
Higgs, who worked in the museum’s Greece and Rome department for 30 years, was dismissed in July 2023, and the museum is now suing him for the stolen artifacts. The director of the museum, Hartwig Fischer, also resigned in August 2023 after acknowledging failures in management that allowed valuable items, including ancient antiquities, to be sold online by the curator.
The British Museum is also under increasing pressure to return various artifacts taken during the British Empire, such as the Parthenon Marbles. The Greek government has long campaigned for the return of these 2,500-year-old sculptures, which were removed from Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Lord Elgin. While UK law prohibits the museum from returning the marbles, there have been ongoing discussions between the British Museum and Greek officials about potential compromises, such as a long-term loan.
Reference:
