British Museum director Hartwig Fischer steps down amid theft inquiry

Hartwig Fischer has resigned as director of the British Museum after items worth millions were ‘missing, stolen or damaged’ (Benedict Johnson/The British Museum/PA)

The director of the British Museum has quit after admitting that the world-famous institution “did not respond as comprehensively as it should have in response to warnings in 2021” about stolen artefacts.

Hartwig Fischer leaves the London museum as it emerged last week that items from its collection were found to be “missing, stolen or damaged”, prompting a police investigation.