News
£5,000 reward to help solve Ely Museum ‘Great Torc Robbery’
Information passed directly to the police will not qualify for a reward
Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £5,000 for key information on the ‘Great Torc Robbery’ at Ely Museum. CCTV footage appearing to show two people stealing the gold torc and gold bracelet from the museum Ely Museum in the early hours of Tuesday 7 May is being circulated by Crimestoppers.
The torc is estimated to be around 3,000 years old, weighs nearly 730g of almost pure gold, and measures 126cm.
It is one of the longest and heaviest torcs ever found in Britain and was discovered in a farmer’s field in 2015. It was bought by Ely Museum in 2017 after a fundraising campaign.
Thieves stole the East Cambridgeshire gold torc and a gold bracelet, both dating from the Bronze Age. The museum acquired the torc in 2017 with a series of grants and donations from the public.
In the spring of 2017, the museum began the task of raising the £220,000 needed to purchase the torc, and public fundraising began.
Separately, the gold bracelet is also thought to be around 3,000 years old and was discovered by a metal detectorist in 2011 in East Cambridgeshire.
Crimestoppers is supporting this investigation by offering up to £5,000 for information we exclusively receive – via their website or by calling 0800 555 111 – that leads to the arrest and conviction of those linked to the above. The reward is available for three months and is due to expire on 30 August 2024.
Thieves stole the East Cambridgeshire gold torc and a gold bracelet, both dating from the Bronze Age. The museum acquired the torc in 2017 with a series of grants and donations from the public. The police are currently investigating the theft.
Annabelle Goodenough, South East Regional Manager, Crimestoppers, said: “Historic treasures are totally irreplaceable and are a crucial part of Cambridgeshire’s history. Obviously, the best outcome is for the stolen items to be returned.
“We urge anyone with any information about this devastating theft to speak directly to our charity or complete an online form on our website.
“You can contact us safe in the knowledge that Crimestoppers has always kept its promise of anonymity since we began in 1988.”
CRIMESTOPPERS FACT FILE
Anonymity:
With Crimestoppers and Fearless, when you visit these sites, computer IP addresses are never traced. Telephone calls are never recorded, there is no caller line display and no 1471 facility.
The charity is completely independent of the police and guarantees that your personal identity will always be protected.
Claiming a reward:
The reward will only be payable for information passed directly to Crimestoppers and not to the police.
A reward code must be asked for when calling the charity on 0800 555 111. If you contact Crimestoppers via the anonymous online form, the ‘keeping in contact’ facility must be used, and a reward code must be requested on your initial contact with the charity.
Information passed directly to the police will not qualify for a reward.
