BURGLARS who stole ancient gold artefacts from the district’s museum are being hunted by police.

A Bronze Age bracelet and a coin from the Iron Age are still missing after the museum was broken into for the first time in its 30-year history and display cabinets were smashed in the burglary.

Police rushed to the museum after the burglar alarm was set off in the early hours of Sunday, October 30.

They called museum staff, who found that three gold coins and the bracelet had been taken from their cases.

The burglars had also tried unsuccessfully to break into more display cabinets.

Police found two of the gold coins later that day, after a man approached them with information.

Ricki Gadsby, leisure and wellbeing portfolio holder for the district council, which owns the museum, said: “Any museum can be a potential target for thieves.

“We obviously have various security measures in place. While it is probably impossible to make any museum entirely secure, we will look to see if there are any lessons to be learnt or anything we might be able to do to improve security in the future.

“All the damage and the missing items are covered by the council's insurance policies.

“The Police investigation is ongoing and I would appeal for anyone who has knowledge of the whereabouts of the missing coin and bracelet to come forward.”

The museum was closed on Monday and Tuesday and police are looking at CCTV images of the incident with council staff, to find evidence.

Anyone with information on the break-in or the stolen items should call Essex Police on 101.

Click here to follow the Epping Forest Guardian on Twitter