The British Museum in London has confirmed incidents of missing, stolen, or damaged treasures from its collection. The museum said items including gold, jewellery, and semi-precious gems had gone missing, most of which were put in a secure storeroom.

The director at the British Museum, Hartwig Fischer, announced the determination of the institution to recover the lost items and stressed just how seriously they take protecting their collection. Security measures have been tightened up while the museum works with external experts as part of an assessment of just how big these losses are.

One of their staff members has been dismissed for involvement in the incident, and legal proceedings have commenced. The Metropolitan Police's Economic Crime Command is leading an investigation into the matter, and an independent security review has been instituted by the museum.

The items that went missing, which spanned from around the 15th Century BC to the 19th Century AD, were not part of the public display and were primarily used as academic or research equipment. The museum plans on retrieving them through a thorough effort involving internal and external experts.

The British Museum's meeting this case with such seriousness to protect its collection shows how important cultural heritage is to be passed down to future generations.