Major Theft: 600 British Empire Artifacts Stolen From Bristol Museum Storage Facility

Police have reported that over 600 artifacts documenting British Empire and Commonwealth history have been stolen from Bristol Museum's collection.

Avon and Somerset Police released images of four male suspects connected to the theft, which occurred at a storage facility during the early morning of September 25.

The stolen items possess "significant cultural value," according to authorities who are now seeking public assistance to identify the suspects.

The timing of the public appeal, coming more than two months after the incident, remains unexplained.

Bristol City Council disclosed that the stolen collection includes medals, badges, pins, jewelry such as necklaces, bangles and rings, decorative carved ivory pieces, silver items, bronze figurines, and geological specimens.

Philip Walker, Bristol City Council's head of culture and creative industries, emphasized that the stolen artifacts belong to a collection chronicling two centuries of Britain's imperial relationships.

"The collection is of cultural significance to many countries and provides an invaluable record and insight into the lives of those involved in and affected by the British Empire," Walker stated.

Detective Constable Dan Burgan, who is leading the investigation, called the theft "a significant loss for the city."

"These items, many of which were donations, form part of a collection that provides insight into a multilayered part of British history, and we are hoping that members of the public can help us to bring those responsible to justice."

Bristol, located 120 miles (195 kilometers) southwest of London, was historically a major center of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Ships from the port transported at least half a million Africans into slavery before Britain outlawed the practice in 1807. Many 18th-century Bristol residents financially backed the trade and shared in its profits, which funded the elegant Georgian architecture still present throughout the city.

The city gained international attention in 2020 when protesters toppled a statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston during anti-racism demonstrations, subsequently throwing it into the River Avon.

The damaged statue was later recovered and placed in a museum exhibition.