ALL MAY NOT BE LOST IF YOU BOUGHT A PIECE OF PLUNDER

STOLEN pieces can be revealed many years after a theft – perhaps when the most recent owner dies, and their family decides to sell a treasure or have it valued, says Julian Radcliffe, of Art Loss Register.

Unfortunately, if it is discovered you possess stolen valuables, you are rarely due any financial compensation.

Unless aware of its murky history, you will not be charged by the police – but should still report it at your local station and hand items over as soon as you are aware they are stolen.

Otherwise, you could be charged with handling stolen goods – which comes with a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail.

The police have a national database – the Police National Mobile Property Register – that includes details of stolen items but access is not open to the public. Radcliffe says: ‘The good news is that in many cases proceeds from stolen pieces can be split between the most recent owner and the original victim or their surviving families as a reward for their discovery – perhaps 90:10 in favour of the original owner.

‘It means that those who unwittingly purchased stolen goods will not be left totally empty handed.’

If you buy valuables with a credit card – and they cost between £100 and £30,000 – you should also be covered under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if the item turns out to be a fake or stolen.

If the seller fails to pay back the money or cannot be traced, contact your card company for compensation. You have up to six years to make any claim after making a purchase.

When discovering goods may be stolen, you must also get a crime reference number from the police to make the claim official.