LONDON, ENGLAND.- Fifteen small Meissen figures, worth around £2,000 each, have been stolen from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Last month another theft took place at the V&A. This time the figures were stolen from a case at the central London museum's Ceramics Galleries on Wednesday. The Ceramics Galleries will be closed until Monday when new security systems will be put in place. Last month a cabinet was smashed at the V&A and the thieves took nine antiques worth around £60,000 and dating from the 15th to the 19th Centuries. After that raid, the V&A doubled the number of guards patrolling the museum.

Mark Jones, V&A director, said: "This theft is a great blow and sadly we have no option but to close the Ceramic Galleries until the new systems are in place."