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| Salisbury Cathedral |
A 45-year-old man has been arrested for attempting to steal the Magna Carta from Salisbury Cathedral.
The alarms at the Wiltshire cathedral were sounded when a man smashed the glass box surrounding the original 1215 document.
A force spokeswoman told The Telegraph: "A 45-year-old man is in custody this morning arrested on suspicion of attempted theft of the Magna Carta.
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| Man, 45, arrested for trying to steal original 1215 Magna Carta from Salisbury Cathedral - Wiltshire Police |
"Shortly before 5pm yesterday alarms were activated at Salisbury Cathedral after an attempt was made to smash the glass box surrounding the Magna Carta. Staff were alerted and police were called.
"A man matching the description given by witnesses was arrested on suspicion of attempted theft, possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage, and has been taken to Melksham custody for questioning where he remains.
"The Magna Carta has not been damaged and nobody was injured in the incident."
Salisbury Cathedral, which has been central to the Skripal poisoning case this year after Russian agents said they were visiting it's "world-famous 132m spire", proudly boasts of the iconic piece of history on its website.
It says: "Magna Carta (Latin for "Great Charter") is one of the most celebrated documents in English history.
"At the time it was the solution to a political crisis in Medieval England but its importance has endured as it has become recognised as a cornerstone of liberty influencing much of the civilized world.
"Only four copies of Magna Carta dating from 1215 have survived the ravages of time and Salisbury Cathedral is proud to be home to the best preserved original manuscript.
"Elias of Dereham, priest and steward of the archbishop of Canterbury is thought to have brought Salisbury's copy of to Old Sarum in the days following the events at Runnymede and it has remained in the Cathedral’s care ever since.
"Housed in our exquisite Chapter House, seeing Magna Carta presented in our family friendly interactive exhibition is a highlight for many visitors.
"The responsibility of owning and interpreting Magna Carta is important in shaping Salisbury Cathedral's future objectives to this day."
