Man charged over £2m raid on museum

A man has been charged in connection with a raid on a university museum where Chinese artefacts worth more than £2m were stolen.

Lee Wildman, 35, was one of four people arrested on Tuesday evening following the thefts from Durham University's Oriental Museum on 5 April. He is due to appear before magistrates in Peterlee, Co Durham, today charged with conspiracy to commit burglary.

Thieves cut a 3ft-wide hole in the museum wall and made off with two artefacts from the Qing Dynasty: a solid jade bowl and a porcelain figurine. The items were found in a field on the edge of the city eight days after being taken.