§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what reports she has received alleging the theft and sale to the British museum of historic artefacts from the Salisbury area; and if she will make a statement. [8001]
§ Mr. SproatI understand from the British museum that it purchased a collection of bronze artefacts of the British iron age of unknown provenance.
Research by the museum into the provenance of a group of miniature bronze shields included in this collection led to arrests in 1993. A site at Netherhampton, 305W Wiltshire, was excavated by the museum and confirmed as the source of an extensive hoard which included these shields.
On 2 May 1995 the finders of the hoard were convicted. Ownership of the shields has now reverted to the estate of the owner of the land on which the shields were found.