Antiques with a valuation of £5 million have been recently recovered following raids on two properties in West and South Yorkshire. Some of the valuable items were stolen from Firle Place in Sussex and Newby Hall which is close to Ripon. The thefts from the country houses took place in 2009, attracting a huge amount of interest. Two men have been arrested following the recovery of the stolen goods.
Three separate police forces from Yorkshire combined their efforts to track down the criminals, who were eventually traced to a lock up garage and a dilapidated caravan in Tankersley, South Yorkshire. A man aged 68 from Tankersley and a man aged 44 from Middleton in Leeds are being questioned. The police believe the thefts may be connected to the illegal trading of drugs.
Among the valuable antique furniture recovered was a Pembroke table which was made for the occupants of Newby Hall by Thomas Chippendale back in 1775, where it remained until its theft in 2009. Porcelain worth £950,000 was stolen from Firle Place in 2009, and fortunately recovered during the raid. Some of the stolen goods were given to a third man from Bradford, who sold some of the antiques at car boot sales but wouldn’t give any further details of the sales. As the investigation progresses, the remaining antiques will be identified and returned to their rightful owners.
When purchasing antique furniture, it is essential to purchase from a reputable antiques dealer who can verify the sale. You will find a number of antique dealers who have a range of antique desks or Victorian dining chairs in the Preston area.