BUCKINHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND.- A gang of thieves broke into Waddesdon Manor, where the Rothschild Collection is, and stole more than 100 gold boxes and art works. The theft took place Tuesday night. Thames Valley police have confirmed that five men participated in the theft.



A police spokesman said: "We are currently using tracker dogs and a force helicopter to carry out an extensive search of the stately home grounds." 



The Rothschild collection includes 18th century French furniture, porcelain, English portraits and many pieces of Renaissance art.



A person from Scotland Yard stated: "London is one of the world’s premier art markets, so a lot of stolen paintings and antiques come through Britain, whether it is stolen here or not. On average we recover about £20 million worth of art a year, which on the scale of things probably doesn’t seem a lot. The trouble for the police is art theft is an international affair, with 45 per cent of recovered property found in a different country to that of its disappearance. At the moment we are noting an increasing trend in serious criminal gangs, especially criminals from the Balkans, becoming involved in the stolen art business."