Eleven exhibits missing from the National Waterways Museum in Cheshire are thought to have been stolen from its collection earlier this month.
The museum said eleven exhibits were stolen between Friday 9th and Monday 12th February 2024. A recent ‘significant’ cataloguing exercise had allowed it to quickly spot that exhibits were missing, it said.
The museum’s Island Warehouse room, where smaller objects are displayed and where the thefts are thought to have taken place, has been temporarily closed.
A security review is now being completed and the museum is working with police to recover the items.
The Canal & River Trust, which operates the museum, has released a document which details the missing exhibits. Included is a model boat, along with several small model engines and three large ‘Tilly’ lamps.
It said: “We understand that a closure of part of our museum is disappointing for visitors and thank everyone affected for their patience and support. We hope people appreciate how serious such a theft is and the importance of the investigation and security review currently taking place.”
Anyone with information into the missing items is being urged to speak to police.
The museum’s collection includes the majority of the UK’s inland waterways Collection, more than 15,000 objects and more than 50 boats.
