Thieves walk out of museum with Spanish galleon gold worth £350,000

Thieves stole a $550,000 (£354,000) gold bar from a treasure museum where it went on display after a Florida salvager recovered it from the wreck of a Spanish galleon that lay on the ocean floor for centuries, the museum's executive director said.

The 74.85-ounce gold bar was stolen from the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida, in what director Melissa Kendrick called "a very quiet smash and grab".

The 11-inch (28-centimetre) gold bar was inside a glass case with a small opening where visitors could stick a hand inside and lift the bar to examine it. Footage from the museum's security camera showed two culprits making off with it. Police are investigating.