Busts of Israeli president stolen from university

Footage shows two people breaking a display case before taking both sculptures of Chaim Weizmann

Police are investigating reports of a burglary at a university in which two busts of the first president of Israel were taken.

Footage circulating online showed two masked people smashing a glass display case in the University of Manchester's chemistry building and removing two busts of Chaim Weizmann, who had been a lecturer there in the early 1900s.

The Palestine Action Group said it had "abducted" the busts to mark Balfour Declaration of 2 November, 1917, in which British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour supported establishing a "national home for Jewish people".

Greater Manchester Police said it had "received a report of a burglary at a university building on Oxford Road, Manchester... shortly before midnight last night".

Lord Balfour and Chaim Weizmann were key figures in the 1948 establishment of the state of Israel

Weizmann taught at the university after moving to England from Belarus in 1904 and became president of Israel in 1948, shortly after the country was established.

Palestine Action said Weizmann had "secured the Balfour Declaration".

In other incidents around the UK, Palestine Action activists targeted the London offices of the Britain-Israel Communications and Research Centre and the Jewish National Fund.

They also sprayed red paint over buildings at the University of Cambridge.

A University of Manchester spokesperson said it was "aware of footage circulating online following an incident last night at our chemistry building" and had reported it to the police.

In a statement posted on X, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said: "I will ask Greater Manchester Police to ensure that there is the fullest possible investigation into this appalling act of vandalism and that those responsible are held to account."

He added: "I will also support the University of Manchester in reassuring all students and staff, particularly those from the Jewish community, of their safety on campus."