Family 'so stressed' after museum break-in

The museum celebrates the history of Ventnor

A family have described feeling "absolutely stressed" after their museum was broken into on Tuesday night.

The Longshoreman's Museum has been in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight for 40 years and its owner Sophie Blake said this has "never happened before".

Police on the island said they are investigating the reported burglary after property was damaged and money stolen from the till.

Ms Blake said some of the items were "irreplaceable".

Ms Blake (far right) was born in the building in 1966 and runs the museum with her children and grandchildren

Describing the moment she found out about the break-in, Ms Blake said: "My grandson came to open up and he rang me and said 'nanny, why is the till on the floor?'"

The venue displays photographs and artefacts celebrating the local history of Ventnor's beach and longshoremen and is advertised as a "little treasure trove".

Ms Blake was born in the building in 1966 before her parents turned it into a museum.

She said her parents, who passed the museum on to her, "would never ever have thought this would happen".

"Our museum is a place people really love," she said.

Police on the island said they are investigating the reported burglary

Ms Blake said she believes around £200 was taken from the till.

She added she is concerned the perpetrators may have been to the museum before as she said the venue's CCTV footage shows them going to the correct location to switch off the cameras.

In a statement Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary said: "We are investigating a report of a burglary, which occurred overnight between Tuesday 22 October and the following morning.

"Entry was forced to the building, with damage caused to cabinets and other property and money stolen from the till."