Overview

• The British Museum is suing former curator Peter Higgs, alleging he stole and sold over 1,800 items from its collection.
• Higgs, who was sacked in 2023 for gross misconduct, denies the allegations and intends to dispute the museum's legal claim.
• A London court has ordered Higgs to return any items still in his possession and to disclose his eBay and PayPal records.
• The museum has so far recovered 356 of the missing items and is undergoing efforts to prevent future thefts.
• The scandal has led to the resignation of the museum's director and deputy director, and sparked calls for tighter security and full digitization of the collection.