Video appears to show alleged thieves escaping

Video has emerged showing the thieves allegedly behind the Louvre robbery escaping on a mechanical ladder in broad daylight.

Moments after the famous Paris museum was broken into and France’s crown jewels worth €88 million (£77 million) were stolen, two men are seen looking around frantically as they slowly descend.

The gang of four thieves has yet to be caught and on Wednesday the Louvre’s boss admitted staff had failed to spot them early enough because there was only one camera pointed at the gallery where the items were displayed.

In the video, the ladder truck can be seen parked as vehicles pass by on a busy road along the Seine river.

Laurence des Cars told French MPs that the Louvre plans to double the number of CCTV cameras in and around the museum.

He admitted that the camera aimed at the Apollo Gallery on the south side, where the jewels were stored, was pointing in the wrong direction.

Paris city prosecutor Laure Beccuau told the Ouest France newspaper that up to 150 DNA samples and fingerprints have been taken so far as part of the police investigation.

The theft took place less than eight minutes after the Louvre opened its doors to the public at 09:30 (07:30 GMT) on Sunday.

They stole eight items, including an emerald necklace and earrings that Napoleon Bonaparte gave to his second wife, Marie-Louise, as a wedding gift.

While fleeing, they dropped a 19th-century diamond-studded tiara belonging to Empress Eugenie.

Although it was recovered, the crown was damaged and des Cars said it was likely crushed when the thieves removed it from the display case.