Thieves have stolen thousands of rare artefacts including Anglo Saxon beads, rare coins and bones from an archaeological trust’s archive.
The crooks ransacked the storage area while looking for treasure at the Canterbury Archaeological Trust’s headquarters.
Trust director Paul Bennett – who received an MBE from Prince Charles yesterday – has compared the theft to Isis’s destruction of ancient archaeological sites in Syria and Iraq.
Devastation: Rare artefacts have been stolen from the Canterbury Archaeological Trust’s HQ, leaving the Trust in a state
The Trust’s director Paul Bennett was awarded an MBE yesterday by Prince Charles, but he said he was thinking about the nightmare break in during the ceremony
Police are now investigating the break in.
Around 850 rare beads from the Anglo Saxon period were taken along with quantities of historic coins, replica metal axes, pins and an assortment of bone objects.
A bust of Queen Victoria was also taken in the raid on the building in Canterbury, Kent.
Archaeologists are now urging the public and antiques dealers to be on the look out for the items if they are contacted to buy them.
Mr Bennett, Director of Canterbury Archaeological Trust, said: ‘It is one of the biggest thefts of archaeological artefacts in the world. So much has been stolen it is an utter disaster. So much work has been violated.
Anglo Saxon beads were stolen in the break in. The ancient beads were often worn as jewellery by Anglo Saxon women, and men sometimes wore them as a necklace too
‘It is almost like in Syria, Iraq and the archaeological sites there and Libya, where I also work.
‘It ranks with the theft of the Benghazi treasure in 2011 [in Libya] at the end of the revolution.
‘I spoke to Prince Charles yesterday as I was given an MBE at the Palace yesterday, and my mind was thinking about this.
‘They have left such chaos it is difficult to determine what has been stolen. It is as bad as the Viking Sacking of Canterbury in 1011.’
Around 850 rare beads from the Anglo Saxon period (between the 5th and 11th century in the UK) were taken along with quantities of historic coins, replica metal axes, pins and an assortment of bone objects
Three break-ins took place over the space of a week, says Bennett, with the perpetrators suspected to be two young men.
The artefacts stolen were taken from finds over 40 years.
The stolen items date from the Iron Age to the present day and include medieval Anglo Saxon bone combs and a huge haul of ancient coins.
‘The combs are so fragile that in their hands they will disintegrate,’ said Bennett.
‘They may end up on Ebay or car boot sales for pennies whereas their real place is in a museum. They are our legacy for future generations.
‘These two people have been allowed to run rampant and steal our material. They are a couple of low lives who live local. They must have a huge swag bag.
‘One of them has been seen on a video being accosted by a security guard having broken into a shop and stolen some beer.
‘We need to notify all these people who are now likely to be approached. Forty years of work has been destroyed. It is the equivalent of a bank vault theft.
Kent Police are currently investigating the break-ins at the Trust’s Headquarters, and said there are no suspects identified at the moment
‘It is the heritage of Canterbury trampled and trodden on by a pair of thieves. We have been caught up in a whirlwind of thievery.’
Mr Bennett told MailOnline he will pursue the culprits: ‘It is a unique collection of material that we can identify. Sooner or later, I will find them. I will pursue them unmercifully until we get the material back, or until they are put before a court of law and sentenced for this heinous crime.’
Bennett also claims the Trust alerted Kent County Council following each break-in but no extra security was provided.
The thieves also stole electric cables from the building during their rampage.
Bennett added: ‘They have made the place uninhabitable. It is knee-deep in finds. A single find has to carefully curated and special chemicals to keep them dry.
‘It is a disaster for us.’
Medieval Anglo-Saxon bone combs were also stolen, with Bennett saying: ‘The combs are so fragile that in their hands they will disintegrate’
Bennett is urging local scrap metal dealers to be on guard in case the thieves try to sell the finds, which include a large number of replica bronze axes.
A spokesman said on the Trust’s Facebook page: ‘We are sad to announce that there has been a very serious break-in and theft from our main archive in Canterbury.
‘Apart from causing considerable damage and chaos, the thieves got away with over 850 Anglo-Saxon glass beads, large quantities of coins and metal artefacts, and an assortment of bone objects.
‘They also ransacked our educational loans collection, disturbing 90 per cent of the 200 loan boxes, and stealing replica metal axes, pins, coins and other items, including a plaster bust of Queen Victoria.
‘Please spread the word, and look out for any of these items being offered for sale.’
A Kent Police Spokesman said: ‘Officers from Kent Police are appealing for information after historical artefacts were stolen by burglars.
‘The items are reported to have been stolen from the Canterbury Archaeological Trust, in Kingsmead Road, overnight on 22 and 23 January and again on 23 and 24 January.
‘Among the items taken were a variety of tools, Anglo Saxon beads, replica metal axes, coins and copper piping.
‘At present no suspects have been identified.’