Crime boss's stolen art recovered

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A treasure trove of stolen art and antiquities was found at the home of convicted crime boss Terry Adams.

The haul, worth £500,000, included a Henry Moore print, pieces of Meissen porcelain and a pair of Bluejohn vases.

The goods were stolen from country houses, art galleries and museums over the past 10 to 15 years, police said.

Adams, 52, of Barnet, north London, was sentenced to seven years in jail in March, after admitting conspiracy to launder his income from crime.

High quality

Details of the haul, uncovered following Adams's arrest in September 2003, have only just been released.

Many of the items were stored in packing cases, apparently in preparation for them to be moved, police said.

It is rare that we find this array of items Hugo Gorst-WilliamsArt Loss Register

Officers also found about £60,000 in cash in a shoe box, described in court as "loose change", and jewellery worth £48,000.

Following Adams's arrest, experts were called in to trace the items' owners, which included the Library Museum of the Freemasons and Asprey's auction house.

Hugo Gorst-Williams, of the Art Loss Register, said experts were stunned by the diversity of fine arts and antiquities found.

"These were very high quality pieces and obviously a range of items from pictures and prints to urns and that sort of thing," he said.

"It is rare that we find this array of items. It is not just one stack of one specific type of painting. It is an array of different types of art."

Adams was sentenced in March after the Old Bailey heard he made so much money from crime he was able to retire at 35.

An Old Bailey judge ordered him to pay his defence costs, which amount to £4.7m owed to three different firms.

The court heard Adams, whose wealth is estimated at up to £11m, had ignored many requests for financial information.