Stolen plant used in Moore sculpture theft

The thieves who stole the massive bronze Henry Moore sculpture last week used a stolen hi-ab crane to professionally lift the £3M sculpture onto their stolen truck. 

The vehicle, which had been stolen shortly before the well-planned theft, was later found abandoned outside Harlow. Henry Moore is the most stolen sculptor as registered by the Art Loss Register (ALR), sister company of the National Plant and Equipment Register (TER).

Among the 500,000-plus items of equipment registered on TER’s database are 3,245 cranes, 69 of which are registered as stolen.

At one time there were 42 Henry Moore sculptures registered as stolen, but the ALR has already recovered four. Two Henry Moore drawings are also in the process of being recovered.

A £100,000 reward is being offered by The Henry Moore Foundation for the return of the Reclining Figure, which has now been registered as stolen with the ALR. Its art historians will be checking auction catalogues and dealerships and liaising with police and ports for the missing sculpture.