British Library guard ushers in thieves

Heard the one about the security guard who ushered in a group of burglars and, once they had their loot, let them out of the building, waving them goodbye?

If it sounds like the stuff of fiction that is because it is - films like The Italian Job, Catch Me If You Can, The Thomas Crown Affair and Ocean's 11 have all portrayed bungling authorities who unwittingly help thieves escape with their ill-gotten gains.

Now fiction has become fact, thanks to a hapless security guard at the British Library.

In what is being seen as a huge embarrassment to the library's security team - responsible for guarding many of the nation's most precious literary treasures including the Magna Carta - three crooks made off with booty worth thousands of pounds.

The men entered the British Library's flagship building in Euston Road last week and gathered up audio-visual equipment worth approximately £16,000 and prepared to make their escape.

That, according to an insider, did not prove difficult. In fact, it was so easy that the British Library admitted it is to launch a security review.

The source said: "There are some very red faces around here.

It turns out the burglars were helped by one of our security guards - but he didn't have a clue they were nicking anything.

"He let them into the building and then, when they left with the kit, he even waved them off as they hailed a cab."

The unnamed security guard is a member of the in-house security team which has only just had its contract renewed.

That contract charges them with guarding some of the world's rarest and valuable literary artefacts - some of which, like the Magna Carta, are central to British history.

It is impossible to estimate the value of such works - they are literally priceless - but some of the British Library's most significant treasures include The Lindisfarne Gospels, the Gutenberg Bible, Da Vinci notebooks, the only manuscript of Beowulf and the earliest recorded printed document, the Diamond Sutra.

Then there are the hundreds of first editions and manuscripts including examples of the work of writers including Shakespeare, Austen, Hardy and Joyce.

Today the British Library admitted that the theft occurred but insisted none of its treasures were at risk.

A statement from Michael Jasper, the library's Head of Risk, said: "The Metropolitan Police are currently investigating the theft of audio-visual equipment from the conference centre at the British Library.

"The conference centre is a separate operation from the normal library function and at no time were collection items at risk.

"Once the police investigation is complete the library will review the causes of the incident and take appropriate action."