The British Museum had multiple artifacts stolen or damaged, and is blaming a staff member.
CBS News reports that the museum has since fired that employee, who has remained unnamed. The person is suspected of taking items including, "gold jewelry and gems of semi-precious stones and glass dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD,” according to a press release from the museum.
“The majority of the items in question were small pieces kept in a storeroom belonging to one of the museum's collections,” the press release continued. “None had recently been on public display, and they were kept primarily for academic and research purposes.”
The museum is taking legal action against the former staffer, and has started an independent probe into its own security procedures. London’s Metropolitan Police haven’t yet arrested anyone, though they did tell the news outlet that they have opened an “ongoing investigation” into the burglary.
The chair of the British Museum, George Osborne, said it was “a sad day” for the museum, while the museum director called it a “highly unusual incident,” per Yahoo.
Of course, the irony of the incident wasn’t lost online, with many slamming the museum for being a thief itself. Check out some of the reactions below.
