Robbery thief made a hole in the museum floor to steal ‘priceless’ silver – before melting artefacts on the run
A BURGLAR ripped a hole in the floor of a museum to steal ‘priceless’ silver in a daring heist before melting it down.
Graham Gallon carried out the brazen robbery at the Royal Lancers & Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Museum.
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He cut a large hole in the floor to gain direct access to a display case containing the artefacts.
The 36-year-old then swiped valuable artefacts, including a striking parcel and a gilded rosewater bowl said to be the sister piece to the Wimbledon women’s singles trophy.
His theft was discovered the next morning by a volunteer, who found a decorative Halloween skeleton directly beneath the hole.
Gallon has now been in prison for two and a half years after pleading guilty to burglary.
Nottingham Police said the items have not been recovered and officers believe they may have been melted down.
Convicted burglar Gallon denied ever visiting the museum when he was arrested.
But he was tricked by him DNA found at the bottom of a silver cup that he could not squeeze through the hole in the floor.
A 24-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man are still under investigation and have been arrested in connection with the theft.
Detective Inspector India Woodrow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “The people who did this may have gotten away with silver but – as we said at the time – they didn’t get away with the crime.
“Gallon quickly came to our attention during our investigation and I am pleased that we were able to definitively link him to this crime.
“We do not believe he acted alone and our investigation continues.
“However, we are acutely aware that no amount of convictions or prison sentences can bring back these precious objects, which we know meant so much to veterans and museum staff.”
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