Law, crime and regulation

The owner of a group of four antique Coalbrookdale benches and a decorative armillary sundial has made a plea to the antiques trade to look out for her stolen garden items.

The auction of a rare and unpublished drawing by Hans Baldung (c.1484-1545) that was due to take place in Paris on March 23 has been postponed after the work was declared a National Treasure by the French government.

An extensive 18th century archive relating to James Stirling (1692-1770) has been blocked from export in the hope a UK institution can raise the funds to keep it in the UK.

A large amount of silver objects were taken from a village church in Hertfordshire including two chalices, a silver communion flagon, a silver plate and a box of other silver objects.

A painting from Howard Hodgkin’s (1932-2017) period in India has been temporarily blocked from export in the hope a UK institution will raise funds to keep it in the UK.

A 30-year-old episode of the BBC show Lovejoy helped an antiques dealer return two stolen Napoleon Bonaparte III altar plaques that had been taken in 2014 to their former home.

A 17th century panel stolen from a church in Hertfordshire has been discovered and returned after being missing for 30 years.

A pair of puttis, believed to have been crafted as one of a pair of chimney pieces for Bedford House in London, have been blocked from export.

To mark the 20th anniversary of Artist’s Resale Right, collecting agencies the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) and the Artists’ Collecting Society (ACS) have issued updates on the amount collected and how it is distributed.

A UK institution has the chance to raise £635,000 to buy an 18th century animal sculpture after it was blocked from export.