Arundel Rosary Beads "Melted Down And Sold For Scrap" According to Police Chief

In an interview with a national newspaper, the police lead for heritage crime said rosary beads stolen from Arundel Castle, that belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots, had been melted down and sold for scrap.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan of Essex Police, who took over as the national lead for heritage crime two years ago, says declining congregations at churches is leaving the buildings in need of repair and more vulnerable as people take less interest in attending.

It has led to a rise, she says, in theft from churches and historical buildings, which is putting important artefacts at risk.

Her comments were part of an article published in The Daily Telegraph last Friday, during which she told the newspaper:

"I think the thing to remember with heritage crime is that some of the things targeted are literally priceless.

"There was a rosary that Mary, Queen of Scots had used before her demise and it was picked up (from Arundel Castle in West Sussex), melted down and sold for scrap.

This display case was broken into with many items stolen.

"That is such a key part of our history, that is what has brought us here today that we are quite literally not going to get back."

Thieves broke into the castle on May 21 of last year, stealing over £1million worth of artefacts. 

Mary, Queen of Scots was thought to have carried the "irreplaceable" rosary beads in her hand on the way to her execution in 1587.

Several men have since been arrested for the burglary, but the beads were never recovered.

In the article, The Telegraph reported that "nearly 20% of listed buildings physically affected by crime in the space of a year" and Ms Nolan reported that 16 churches had been raided by thieves in July alone.

She added that one of her worries when she started the job had been the “antipathy” the public can have towards the protection of heritage assets and she is making community engagement a key priority.

Arundel Castle has been contacted for a statement.