Museums with artefacts taken from other nations - such as the British Museum which houses the Rosetta Stone - could be fined if they don’t ‘decolonise’ their collections and give them back

Museums with artefacts taken from other nations could be fined if they don’t ‘decolonise’ their collections and give them back.

Arts Council England expects repatriation demands to rise – so it has asked experts to bid for a £42,000 contract to come up with guidelines to replace the ‘very out of date’ ones it uses now.

The checklist will help museums decide whether to return other nations’ treasures, such as the Elgin Marbles or Rosetta Stone.

All UK museums will be expected to adopt the guidance.

The contract will see experts help British museums deal with media attention, government policies and the future of artefacts with no value.

An aboriginal shield and Ethiopian sacred tablets are among many artefacts that have been demanded by their ancestral owners.

Cambridge University’s Jesus College returned a Benin bronze cockerel (pictured) to Nigeria last year following student pressure

Bloody truth about the 'colonialist' cockerel In 1897, a British naval expedition was raised to avenge the deaths of nine officers killed during a trade dispute between the king of Benin and Britain. Britain sent a force of 500 men to destroy Benin. After ten days of fierce fighting, the British burnt down the palace and looted the royal treasures: delicate ivory carvings and magnificent copper alloy sculptures and plaques - now known as the Benin Bronzes. After the sacking of Benin, the bronzes were taken by the British to pay for the expedition. One of them, a bronze cockerel, ended up being a permanent fixture in the dining hall at Jesus College, Cambridge. Many people have campaigned for the cockerel to be returned over the years and in November last year, Cambridge University agreed to return it to Nigeria.

One campaigner was BBC historian David Olusoga who said The British Museum should have a ‘Supermarket Sweep’ where countries have two minutes to take back their artifacts. Advertisement

Cambridge University’s Jesus College returned a Benin bronze cockerel to Nigeria last year following student pressure.

The University of Manchester also returned aboriginal artefacts to their original communities.

The new contract – which is expected to come into force next month, follows the example set by France, where president Emmanuel Macron has promised the repatriation of colonial objects.

Organisations are already asked to follow diversity procedures, but by Arts Council England said it was too soon to say if there would be financial implications for its 828 members.

An Arts Council spokesman said: ‘The aim is to encourage a more proactive and co-ordinated approach across the museum sector by providing museums with a practical resource to support them in responding to all aspects of restitution and repatriation.’

In its advert seeking bids for the contract, it states: ‘This work will be undertaken through a review of existing research and evidence as well as extensive consultation with practitioners and stakeholders across and beyond the UK museum sector, to identify key challenges, opportunities, practical and ethical issues and examples of best practice in the UK and internationally.’

‘There is significant government, public and press interest and increasing calls for action by museums to address this. The most recent guidance, published in 2000, is out of print and very out of date.’

The checklist will help museums decide whether to return other nations’ treasures, such as the Elgin Marbles

The 7th Earl of Elgin, Thomas Bruce, removed the Parthenon Marble pieces from the Acropolis in Athens while serving as the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1799 to 1803

There have been significant campaigns over the years to return artefacts to their ancestral owners.

BBC historian David Olusoga said The British Museum should have a ‘Supermarket Sweep’ where countries have two minutes to take back their artefacts.

Mr Olusoga said there was a ‘moral imperative’ for relics to be returned and that it could help our relationship with the Commonwealth after Brexit.

Born in Nigeria, he said he felt strongly that the Benin Bronzes should be given back to the country of his heritage after they were seized in ‘violent raids’ in the late 19th century.

The BBC Civilisations presenter, who also called for the Elgin Marbles to be given back to Greece, said: ‘It’s just such a stark case of theft.’

The museum has faced criticism for its vast collection of treasures taken over centuries of exploring.

BBC historian David Olusoga said The British Museum should have a ‘Supermarket Sweep’ where countries have two minutes to take back their artefacts

Mr Olusoga said he felt strongly that the Benin Bronzes (one pictured left) should be given back to the country of his heritage after they were seized in ‘violent raids’ in the late 19th century. Right: This gold chalice was taken by the British in 1868 from a church in Abyssinia (present-day Ethiopia) during the Siege of Maqdala.

This gold crown was also seized by the British in Abyssinia in 1868 and is being held in the V&A Museum in south-west London

Tippoo's Tiger, an almost life-sized automaton, was looted during the Seringapatam Siege of 1799 in India. The treasure is currently held in the V&A Museum in south-west London