Thieves swoop on Stockholm museum pieces

A GANG of thieves yesterday staged a remarkable break-in near the Swedish royal family's residence in Stockholm, smashing display cases at a historic 18th century Chinese-style landmark and getting away with priceless antiques.

The heist at the ornate Chinese Pavilion, a birthday gift from King Adolf Fredrik to Queen Lovisa Ulrika in 1753, took only six minutes, and occurred just after security guards had made their rounds at 2am local time, .

"The alarm went off just as the guards had passed by," police spokeswoman Diana Sundin said. Guards immediately returned to the scene, but the burglars had vanished.

They are believed to have entered the musuem by smashing glass in the pavilion's back door

Ms Sundin could not say what was stolen, but the pavilion is known for its display of Chinese artifacts including porcelain. "It might not even be possible to put a value on these objects. That's how bad it is," she said.