Yard could open doors of gruesome 'Black Museum'

Scotland Yard could be about to let the public visit its "Black Museum" which catalogues artefacts from the capital's most gruesome crimes.

It holds objects from the Jack the Ripper and Dr Crippen inquiries along with other exhibits collected over the generations.

Police have been allowed to see the relics but public decency has prevented their wider access.

However, Boris Johnson is backing a plan to turn some of the contents into a museum to celebrate London's emergency services. Chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority Brian Coleman is working with the Mayor on the plan for the new tourist attraction.

He said: "The police are quite jealous of some of the information they are allowed access to.

"And to be quite truthful, some of the items are just too gruesome for members of the public - but if we had a Black Museum, we would have tourists queuing around the corner."