An antique clock stolen from the historic Preston Manor has been safely returned to its owners after two decades.
The musical timepiece, known for its sailing ships that move to music when the clock chimes, was stolen from Preston Manor by two men on 12 February 2001.
The suspects escaped in a vehicle and were never traced, despite an investigation by Sussex Police at the time.
But last week, the 18th century clock was returned to Brighton and Hove Museum, after it was recovered from an auction house last year.
The Rural Crime Team collected the clock after the Art Loss Register – a network where stolen art and antiques can be registered and monitored – notified the Brighton and Hove Museums that it was listed for sale.
Sergeant Tom Carter said: “The museum notified us, which meant I could attend and safely collect the clock before it was sold on.
“The clock had previously been sold by the same auction house 20 years ago in good faith to a collector, who then relisted it with them for sale last year.
“Unfortunately, the auction house had no provenance for the clock at its original sale, which meant the investigation could not proceed any further.
“Despite this, we were pleased to have been able to return this historic item back to its rightful owner on Friday, 12 April.”
The rare clock with painted decorations was made between 1760 and 1770 by top English clockmaker, Thomas Hunter Jr Bracket.
It was acquired by the Stanford family, who owned Preston Manor, in 1905 who then presented Brighton Corporation with Preston Manor and its contents in 1932.
Staff in Preston Manor said the clock, which was placed in a south-facing room looking towards the sea, was a huge favourite with visitors, especially children.
Chief executive of the Brighton and Hove Museums, Hedley Swain, said: “We are so thrilled to have this wonderful item returned to us after so long.
“We want to thank Sussex Police and the Art Loss Register for their hard work in restoring the clock to its home.
“This is an important item, not just because of its rarity and beauty but because it has a direct link with Brighton’s municipal history and the early history of the Brighton and Hove Museums.
“We aim to ensure the clock is back to working order so we can display it once again in Preston Manor.”
