Antique jewellery worth up to a billion euros has been stolen from a German museum, local police have confirmed.
Thieves broke into Dresden’s historic Grünes Gewölbe museum - translated as "Green Vault" - in the early hours of this morning, seizing an estimated £850 million’s worth of diamonds, gems and other near-priceless treasure.
The burglars switched off the electricity supply to the museum’s state art collection at 5am before breaking in through a window, German newspaper BILD reported.
A fire, which broke out overnight at the nearby Augustus Bridge, is believed to be connected to the electricity failure.
Following the break-in, the thieves reportedly plundered generations’ worth of precious stones and jewellery from the museum, which contains Europe's largest collection of treasures.
They are said to have fled in a car and are now on the run, police spokesman Thomas Geithner told reporters.
Despite the electrical black-out, it is believed that CCTV footage may have captured parts of the raid.
Saxony's prime minister Michael Kretschmer said: "Not only the State Art Collections were robbed, but us Saxons."
Detectives remain at the scene.
