A museum curator has blasted the thief who struck in "opportunistic" fashion to steal a number of rare items - just minutes after they were donated.
And for Ian Brown, from the RAF Sculthorpe Heritage Centre in Wicken Green, near Fakenham, there was only one appropriate word to describe the theft: "unbelievable".
Mr Brown had received a visit on Monday, October 3, from a woman who worked at an American Express bank in Sculthorpe during the 1950s, when members of the US Air Force were based there.
The unnamed woman was keen to donate her old ID badge to the centre.
Mr Brown and the visitor got talking, and the former brought out a Sculthorpe American Express chequebook from the collection.
He also showed the interested woman an old Sculthorpe guidebook which gave Americans the dos and don'ts of village life, before temporarily leaving all the items in the bar area at the back of the museum's hall.
But after a brief few minutes viewing the Sculthorpe collection, the pair returned to find they had vanished alongside an unrelated magazine article.
“We don’t understand how they disappeared," said Mr Brown. "We called all the volunteers asking if they had seen them, or accidentally picked them up, but all said they hadn't.
"The only assumption we can come to is that someone has taken them.
“This is the first time such an incident has occurred at RAF Sculthorpe. It appears to be a deliberate act of theft and we are outraged by this callous, opportunistic behaviour. It's unbelievable."
Mr Brown added that the items were not particularly valuable, but important given their historical significance.
"We're not sure why anyone would want them," he said.
"They are not valuable money-wise, but are very important to us as they are the only ones we have ever seen. Plus, the lady is upset that her ID card from the 1950s is missing.
“We would like these items back as soon as possible and there will be no blame attached if taken accidentally.”
The theft has not been reported to police, while Mr Brown said his items were insured.
Those who can help with locating the items are asked to email the curator via rshc1955@gmail.com.
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