Thief steals Tower of London keys; Crown Jewels safe

by Alice Monroe

Officials at the Tower of London have been forced to change some of the locks after a thief managed to break into landmark fortress and steal a set of keys

LONDON, United Kingdom -- Police have launched an investigation into the theft of a set of keys from the Tower of London.

The theft took place in the early hours of November 6 when an intruder scaled the Front Gate of the iconic fortress and managed to steal the keys from a metal box which was meant to have been securely locked, but wasn't.

The thief was spotted by guard, who reportedly did not give chase and instead radioed for help, as rules prevent them leaving their posts.

The heavy set of keys included ones to unlock the site's drawbridges as well as others for conference rooms and the restaurant.

Tower officials were forced to change the locks as a matter of urgency, at an expense of several thousand pounds.

The Crown Jewels, housed at the Tower, were never at risk of being raided, officials insisted.

The Tower of London is famously guarded by the Yeoman Warders, or Beefeaters, who are backed up by a private security firm.

A spokeswoman for the Historic Royal Palaces underlined the Tower security was not actually put at risk by the theft.

"We have carried out an internal investigation and have concluded that our well-established security systems and procedures are robust. However on this occasion, these procedures were not carried out to the expected standard. A staff disciplinary procedure is under way to address this issue."

"It would not have been possible to gain access to the tower with any of these keys. All the affected locks were immediately changed," she added.

The matter has now been passed on to the police, the spokeswoman pointed out, preventing her from being able to divulge any further details on the incident.

Source: http://www.onenewspage.com/n/UK/74ritsope/Thief-steals-Tower-of-London-keys-Crown-Jewels.htm

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