Crime: Ukraine's stolen art found in Lancashire

Police in Lancashire have recovered two paintings worth at least pounds 1m that had been snatched from a museum in the Ukraine.

Five men were also arrested yesterday in the climax of police said had been an eight-month operation.

The works were stolen in a violent raid on the Ukrainian National Museum in the city of Poltava earlier this year.

Yesterday armed officers arrested three men in Kirkham, Lancashire, and another two were arrested by the Metropolitan Police in London.

The paintings are Night Fight: Turks with Crusaders by the 19th century French artist Delacroix, and Still Life with Lobsters by Pieters, a 17th century Dutch painter.

The men arrested are being questioned at police stations in Lancashire. One is believed to be of Russian origin, the others are Britons.

Superintendent Terry Smith of the North West Regional Crime Squad said he had spoken to the Ukrainian ambassador in London yesterday. "The ambassador asked me to express his thanks for the efforts of the police agencies in this country that have led to the recovery of these paintings," he said. The ambassador added that the paintings were of great value to his countrymen.

They were stolen on 18 March in what Supt Smith said was a "particularly nasty and vicious" attack when the raiders used incapacitant sprays on museum staff. After investigations involving Interpol, British police set up Operation Package which led to the stake-out of an industrial unit in Kirkham yesterday. Two men arrived there in a Ford Escort car and were arrested by armed officers. No shots were fired and the men were found to be unarmed.

Shortly afterwards another man was arrested in the car park of a nearby supermarket.

The paintings were recovered inside the units, rented from Railtrack, wrapped in newspaper and inside cardboard boxes. They are now being verified and evaluated by art experts.