A Romanian man who admitted stealing masterpieces by Gauguin, Monet and Picasso from a Dutch museum says he wants to take the museum to court.

Radu Dogaur stole the paintings, worth up to 18 million euros, in 2012.

His lawyer maintains there were no alarms and the museum should share the burden of insurance compensation.

The artwork that was taken included Picasso’s ‘Tete d’Arlequin’, Monet’s ‘Waterloo Bridge’ and ‘Femme Devant une Fenetre Ouverte, dite La Fiancee’ by Paul Gauguin.

Dogaru’s mother had said she burnt them in a bid to destroy evidence against her son.

Although she later retracted her confession, experts said ashes retrieved from her stove indicate the remains of oil paintings and picture frame nails from before the end of the 19th century.