Women arrested after theft of statues from University of Manchester

Both remained in custody on Thursday afternoon

Police investing the theft of two statues from a chemistry building at The University of Manchester have arrested two women.

The women, aged 21 and 22, were both held on suspicion of assisting an offender after police swoops.

Greater Manchester Police said the arrests were made after warrants were executed early on Thursday morning in central and south Manchester. Both women, said GMP, remained in custody for questioning on Thursday afternoon.

The force said an investigation was launched following a reported aggravated burglary involving statue busts on November 1 last year.

Activist group Palestine Action claimed responsibility for the incident at the university's Chemistry Building on the Oxford Road campus.

The group shared a video clip on social media of two hooded protesters using hammers to smash their way through a glass cabinet.

A bust of Chaim Weizmann and a bust of Harold Baily Dixon were stolen, with the Weizmann bust later being publicly defaced, GMP said. Both were chemistry academics and Weizmann was the first president of Israel, who later became an academic at the university.

Baily Dixon was a former professor of chemistry at the University of Manchester who specialised in the cause of mine explosions.

GMP said a total of nine people have now been arrested in connection with the thefts. Seven remain on police bail.

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Detective Chief Inspector Jill Billington said: "Our work continues to identify, disrupt and bring to justice those responsible for this type of criminality across Greater Manchester.

"Today's arrests show that this investigation, along with many others, are still very much ongoing, and I hope sends a clear and strong message to anyone wishing to involve themselves in direct action that this will not be tolerated. The people and the communities of Greater Manchester have a right to come to our city without fear or disruption from these types of offences and we will continue to support and work with our communities and partners who have been victims to this.

"Greater Manchester Police, quite rightly, supports the right for democratic peaceful protest but when these actions cross over into criminality we can, have and will continue to take robust action against those responsible."

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