British Museum chiefs accused of showing a ‘lack of reaction’ when after being alerted to treasures from the institution potentially being sold online as early as 2021

British Museum bosses were accused of ‘lack of response’ last night when they were warned about stolen treasures being sold online.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that Dr Ittai Gradel, an expert on Roman antiquities, raised the alarm after seeing items for sale that had appeared in a museum catalog nearly a century ago.

Yesterday, the Danish academic said: ‘I warned the British Museum on February 28, 2021. I was – let’s say – not happy with the response or lack of response I got from them.’

He suggested that the perpetrator may have also taken “unregistered items” from the museum’s collection, but “got so careless that they put two items on eBay that were published in the British Museum’s 1926 catalogue.

“I recognized them.”

His comments follow the firing last month of Peter John Higgs, a curator who worked at the museum for more than 30 years, after jewels, gems and precious metals disappeared from the archives over more than 3,000 years.

It later transpired that some of the items had previously appeared on eBay at rock-bottom prices.

They include a Roman piece of jewelery made from onyx that was advertised on the site in 2016 with a price tag of £40. Experts believe the piece, which drew no bids, is actually worth between £25,000 and £50,000.

Police are investigating, although Mr Higgs’ family insist he is innocent and no arrests have been made.

Former art minister David Mellor, a critic for the Mail on Sunday, last night called for an independent assessment and said it was ‘outrageous’ that the museum does not have everything in its collection on a register.

He said: ‘It is quite clear that the facilities in the British Museum were not good enough to ensure the safety of at least part of their collection.

Mr. Higgs worked there for 35 years until the beginning of this year. His family insists he is innocent

No arrests have been made following the British Museum thefts, despite one member of staff being fired

“They didn’t have arrangements where everything was well documented—and they asked for trouble, and they got it.”

Mr Mellor added: ‘What bothers me is that throughout this period there was no one willing to protect the collection – no one willing to take the necessary steps to protect it.

“This cannot be swept under the rug. It is obvious that no one has tried to address this matter and that the whistleblower’s nasty words have simply been ignored.”

Last night Dr Gradel – who has held positions at a number of British universities – said: ‘I have done this in the interest of the museum.

‘In my late teens I spent many, many happy hours there going through the entire museum. I’ve loved the place ever since.

Higgs’ family insists he will be acquitted

British Museum bosses were accused of ‘lack of response’ last night when they were warned about stolen treasures being sold online

“My love for the museum does not mean that I necessarily have great affection for all employees or the current management.”

A spokesman for the British Museum said last night that ‘no other person is currently under investigation by the museum’.

But they say they cannot say exactly when the director or the chairman of the curators were informed of the missing items due to the ongoing police investigation.

They also said they couldn’t list which items were missing for the same reason.