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

Wasn't

Why would you do this? Why would putting your child in a coffin for a photo occur to anyone in any circumstances, never mind an immensely fragile 800 year old one?!

I am thoroughly boggled by every aspect of this

This kind of stuff really pisses me off.

Not in the same league as this but at the entrance to Whitby Abbey, there's a square forecourt filled with stones dating from the 17th Century. It has signs saying not to walk on them and the entrance and exit are blocked off (but not all the way round).

There's a statue in the middle and when I visited last month, there was a guy in the middle of the court taking a photo and numerous kids running about on it. THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS.

What a family of pillocks - I'm so peed off about this.

I think the museum curators (or council media officer) have been incredibly restrained - I'd be tempted to let the cctv "leak" but then they'd be done for a data protection contravention I hope someone hunts them down on Facebook...

It's an irreplaceable artefact ffs!

trolls story as in news story, not fairytale. But thanks.

I hope they identify them and ban them from every museum in the country. I bet they weren't event remotely interested in the history, just about getting a bloody Facebook photo!

I'm a former archaeologist and I can tell you there's few of us in the business who haven't posed for a photo in or next to something like this! It's an accident, stuff happens and it will be repaired. Lesson learnt.

Kid in a coffin - classic photo opp!

I bet their photo would have appeared on Facebook. I hope they are banned from museums as they clearly have no respect for them. Some people honestly believe that they are above the rules.