The British Museum announced that it was compelled to close certain galleries after a dismissed IT contractor “trespassed into the museum and shut down several of our systems.”
This museum, one of the major tourist attractions in the UK capital and renowned for its collections including the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon Marbles, reported that the suspect had been apprehended by the police.
A spokesperson for the museum stated, “An IT contractor who was terminated last week trespassed into the museum and shut down several of our systems.”
“We are making every effort to restore full operations at the museum, but regretfully our temporary exhibitions have been closed today and will remain closed throughout the weekend.”
London’s Metropolitan Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A notice on the museum’s website indicated that it was “open, but due to an IT infrastructure issue, some galleries have had to be closed.”
It went on to clarify that this would result in “limited capacity, with priority given to members and pre-booked ticketholders.”
This incident marks another significant security failure for the museum, following 2023 allegations that a former employee was suspected of selling items stolen from its extensive collection.
As of August 2023, approximately 1,800 objects were reported missing or stolen.
The museum terminated a staff member believed to be connected to what it termed “an inside job,” and has notified the police, who have interviewed an individual but have not made any arrests.
Since then, hundreds of the missing items have been recovered.
In the aftermath of the scandal, Hartwig Fischer, then-director of the museum, resigned.
Following the appointment of a temporary head, Nicholas Cullinan, formerly in charge of the National Portrait Gallery, assumed leadership last year.
