Two valuable Buddha statues have been stolen from museum in Belfast.
The raid, made by 3 men with a baseball bat, took place the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra, near Belfast.
A museum spokesperson said one of the ornate statues was wooden and the other gilded metal. They date from the mid- to late 19th century, she added.
In a bid to get the pieces returned safely and prevent them being sold on by the thieves, police released images of the stolen artefacts.
The museum is part of the National Museums of Northern Ireland group and includes textiles, craft and trades, and a picture library collected over the past 100 years.
This year to mark the centenary of the Titanic’s maiden, and final, voyage, the museum is hosting a series of exhibitions and a talk with Nicola Pierce, author of the new novel Spirit of the Titanic.
For more information, from event programmes to contact details, please visit the museum’s website.