A British Museum employee was fired due to missing artifacts

The British Museum in London has sacked a staff member and is investigating after treasures were reported missing, stolen, or damaged. The majority of the items were kept in a storeroom, and the museum is taking the safeguarding of all items in its care extremely seriously. The museum has already tightened its security arrangements and is working alongside outside experts to complete a definitive account of what is missing, damaged, and stolen. The British Museum has also started an independent review of security. The items, ranging from 15th Century BC to 19th Century AD, were taken before 2023 and over a significant period of time. The museum's chair, George Osborne, said the trustees were extremely concerned when they learned of the theft earlier this year. The museum's independent review will be led by former trustee Sir Nigel Boardman and Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi of British Transport Police. They will provide recommendations regarding future security arrangements and start a vigorous program to recover the missing items. The British Museum, one of the UK's largest tourist attractions, sees over six million visitors each year and has a collection spanning six continents and two million years of history, including the Parthenon sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles.