A MAN has been arrested in connection with a burglary at a Kirklees museum three years ago.

The 35-year-old was detained in the Rochdale area in connection with the raid on Bagshaw Museum at Wilton Park in Batley when Egyptian artefacts worth £150,000 were taken.

The burglary happened one night in March 2005.

The museum’s shutters were broken and a double-glazed window was smashed during the break-in, causing £5,000 of damage.

Among the items stolen were a human skull and Egyptian artefacts, including Shabti dolls.

They are five inches tall and decorated with hieroglyphics.

The Shabties are carved from stone and jade to be buried with the dead as the Egyptians believed they would work as servants in the afterlife.

The Shabties are valued at between £300 and £3,000 each.

Police searched a property in Rochdale, but none of the stolen items have been recovered.

The man has been bailed, pending further enquiries.

Kirklees Police are appealing to anyone who knows the whereabouts of the stolen items to contact Det Con Martin Gumersell at Dewsbury CID on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.