Yellow in the British Museum in London . A member of staff has been sacked and police are investigating after a number of items from the British cultural institution's vast collection are reported to be 'missing, stolen or damaged' .

This is what we read in an official statement, according to which they are gold jewels and gems of semi-precious stones dating back to a period between the 15th century BC and the 19th century. None of the missing items had recently been on public display, and the finds were kept primarily for academic and research purposes.

According to some rumors reported in the local media, the removal of precious exhibits from the British Museum has been going on for years and began "at least" in 2019 .

According to the Daily Telegraph, the long period of closure of the museum, 163 days, during the Covid pandemic would also have been exploited.

A precise description of the stolen objects has not been released by the British Museum, which according to some experts are priceless.

It is also feared that the works will never be recovered as they have already been melted down, cut or sold on the international black market for antiques.

(Unioneonline/vl)