Update: Arrest made in connection with University of Manchester sculpture theft

Greater Manchester Police have arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of aggravated burglary following the theft of two sculptures from the University of Manchester.

The incident took place on Friday 1st November, when members of Manchester Palestine Action smashed through glass to steal the statues.

The police have since confirmed that one arrest was made on November 8th, as well as two search warrants occurring in Greater Manchester.

Hundreds of hours of CCTV were reportedly watched by police, who also spoke with members of the university community to make the connection that led to their arrest of the individual.

Alongside the arrest, detectives have conducted two search warrants in Greater Manchester after the sculptures were taken from the Chemistry Building earlier this month. 

In a statement posted on behalf of GMP, Detective Jill Billington said: “We know that this incident has caused considerable distress across the community, many of which have come to Manchester to work and study.

“We will always take incidents of this nature very seriously and we have been working with partners around the clock, and I am pleased to say that this morning we have made an arrest. This is only the first step, there is much more work that is happening behind the scenes to apprehend all those involved.

“I hope the latest action reassures our communities and sends a message to those intent on committing these types of criminal acts. It’s not acceptable and is not tolerated in Greater Manchester. 

“We are continuing to appeal for information and ask anyone who may have seen something suspicious to contact us as a matter of urgency, please don’t assume we already know this information.”

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Palestine Action had already taken responsibility for the incident on November 1st, sharing a video to social media which showed two masked individuals smashing a display cabinet and removing the statues. The group later posted a picture of one of the busts with its head removed.

It remains unclear which bust was destroyed, but it has been revealed that while one depicted Chaim Weizmann, Israel’s first president and known Zionist leader, the other was of Harold Baily Dixon, an ex-professor in the university’s chemistry department.