to think they should be made to pay for the damage to this coffin.

[HelenaDove]

A family lifted their child over the barrier for a photo opportunity f knocking the coffin off the stand.

Then sneaked off without telling anyone. Its not going to cost much to fix but thats not the point. They should take responsibility for their own actions.

www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/aug/22/museum-visitors-photo-stunt-damages-800-year-old-coffin-essex?CMP=share_btn_tw

They placed the child inside the coffin?! WTF wrong with people?

Why on earth would you lift your child over the barrier protecting an 800 year old artefact?!

Mind boggles.

Bloody stupid thing to do

They wanted a photo.

Twats.

They didn't really "knock the coffin off the stand" by placing their child next to it.

They PUT THEIR CHILD INSIDE"

Well, might as well try it with Tut's coffin, right? I mean no harm done, innit.

Why the hell would anyone do that? It's not even that it's a coffin, it's that they lifted a child over a barrier in a museum that was there for a very good reason. I would never have done that, barriers are there so everyone can enjoy exhibits, not to spoil their fun.

Yep And i bet the plan was to put the photo on facebook.

What idiots! I really hope the museum bills them.

Doesn't matter that the repairs won't cost much; the item will forever be 'repaired' and no longer intact, they have permenantly damaged it. Bastards.

What dicks. That's practically vandalism.

It happens more than you would think tbh though, and it really boils my blood. Having worked in museums, historic homes etc I've seen this sort of stupidity a few times. One family allowed their son to kick a football repeatedly at a window on a historic house and smashed the 400 year old glass. They were seen by a member of staff, but they didn't catch up with them before they ran off. Another time some children were witnessed throwing rocks into a brand new fountain that had just been refurbished and re-installed (at thousands of £'s cost) and not one of their parents said anything when they smashed it to bits. Again, they were long gone by the time a member of staff reached the area.

SO infuriating.

Exactly Cheby..................and the museum and specialists have also got to work out how best to carry out the repair.

Oh dear.

If you can't put an adorable photo of your child on social media, what's the point of even taking them out with you?!

Sorry, I know I'm being cynical.

If the family had owned up immediately, it is unlikely they'd have to pay for the damage.

If barriers won't stop them, I hope they encourage DS to have a go in Duchamp's Fountain on their next cultural day out.

Ffs that's awful!

Of course they should pay. If they are ever traced that is

Idiots, yes they should pay.

There seems to be a growing number of people who basically don't give a shit about anything other than what they want to do (see most of the CFN threads).

Not sure there's any way of stopping them. Hope the kids get more of an education, although I pity their teachers at parents' evening...

Why would anyone want a photograph of their child posing as dead body. I just don't understand.

I get called a stick in the mud all the time because I tut at people who do this kind of shit.

PLEASE KEEP OFF THE GRASS=Please pitch up and have a picnic

PLEASE STAND BEHIND THE BARRIER=Everyone except for your precious little one who obviously needs to see more than everyone else.

PLEASE KEEP SHOES OFF THE SEATS
PLEASE WAIT IN LINE
PLEASE WAIT TO BE CALLED
NO PHONES IN THE THEATRE
NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY
PLEASE WALK ON THE LEFT
STAND ON THE RIGHT
PLEASE DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS

Everyone has a reason for why the rules don't apply to them.
The rules are clearly only in place to spoil everyone's fun.

That family should absolutely be made to pay. Idiots.

I don't get it. Is a photo that important? The story about the baby dolphin dying after tourists stressed it out while taking selfies with it and now this. Idiots.

Midnight

Happy, you forgot to include please don't pull baby dolphins/turtles/whales/any wild creature should it swim or crawl out so you can take a selfie with it. Oh and kill it, whist doing so.

It's unfortunate but the article states that the repairs probably won't cost more than £100. So parents stupid enough to do that with a child are also likely, if they read that, to think 'oh well, we couldn't have done much damage to it if it only costs £100 to repair' and they'll give even less of a shit about a significant historical artefact than they do already.

It was caught on cctv. Should be put out through the media

It would be sheer poetic justice if it went viral. Like other PPs I'm sure the photo was destined for Facebook

Um, it was just a story.

So fucking many on a regular basis. They just don't make headline news weekly.