Listen: George Osborne apologises for British Museum thefts and admits ‘more could have been done’

George Osborne has issued an apology to the general public and admits “more could have been done” after thousands of artifacts have been stolen from the British Museum.

The chair of the British Museum’s trustees said some of the items had been recovered but admitted that as many as 2,000 may have been stolen from its vaults.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday, Mr Osborne said: “On behalf of the British Museum, I want to apologise for what has happened.

“We believe we’ve been the victim of thefts over a long period of time and, frankly, more could have been done to prevent them.”