A Roman altar, estimated to be at least 1,600 years old, has been stolen from an open display at the Senhouse Roman Museum in Maryport, Cumbria.

The theft took place last Thursday, during the museum’s opening hours. CCTV footage of that day has been given to police, who are currently investigating.

“It has always been a priority to us that the collection is made accessible to everyone and we have trusted members of the public to value the collection too,” Jane Laskey, the manager of the museum, told the BBC.

“It is very unpleasant to find that someone abused that trust to steal something that is such a significant part of the heritage of the people of Maryport,” she added. “As a result of this incident the museum’s security has been reviewed.”

Laskey fears that the theft would have damaged the red sandstone altar, as it was forcibly wrenched from its open display.

Unearthed in Maryport in 1880, the small altar is part of the Netherhall Collection, founded in the 16th century by John Senhouse and which subsequently became the largest private collection of Roman antiquities from one British site.

The museum has stressed that the value of the stolen altar resides in its relevance as part of the Netherhall Collection, rather than in its individual monetary worth.

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