The Greek Culture Minister Pavlos Geroulanos has resigned, according to state media, whilst it has been claimed that about 60 artefacts were taken during the robbery at the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games, a smaller building close to the main Archaeological Museum of Olympia, just after 7:30 am.

The thieves tied up the museum guard's hands and bound her mouth before proceeding to seize the items.

"Such incidents are an issue of national security," said Dimitra Koutsoumba, the President of the Greek Archaeologists' Association.

"The artefacts that were taken were mainly figurines related to the Olympics, so many were depicting athletes.

"It is the first time that we have an armed robbery at a museum during operating hours.

"It shows that the cuts the Culture Ministry has made since the crisis hit in 2009 make it easier for such incidents to take place.

"The Minister himself had told us that the cuts were ranging between 30 per cent and 35 per cent, and they include cuts in personnel.

"Such incidents are an issue of national security."


The museum is located by the ancient Greek Temple of Hera, where the Olympic torch will be lit (pictured above), before taking an eight day journey around Greece.

The flame will then arrive at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens on 17 May, where the first modern Olympics was held in 1896, for the official Olympic Flame Handover Ceremony.

It will then be handed over to a London 2012 representative, following which it will be flown to Britain for the start of the 70 day torch relay at Land's End.

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