NUMEROUS miniatures stolen from a transport museum in Walthamstow have been recovered by eagle-eyed staff.

Pump House Steam and Transport Museum chief Lindsay Collier discovered most of the stolen models in a bag under the museum's Victorian London car last week.

This was after the Guardian reported how burglars broke into the museum, in South Access Road, and took the collectables during the early hours of January 18. A reward was offered for their safe return.

Mr Collier believes the thieves stashed the miniatures away in the grounds for collection later but he was lucky enough to find them first.

He said: "I was talking with one of the other museum workers last week and he suggested we go round the whole site to have a proper look to see if we could find anything that had been taken.

"I went out on Wednesday to have a look around and found them behind the Victorian car. Quite a few of them have been damaged, I guess when the burglars escaped from the museum.

"About 75 per cent of them are refusable. There is still £200 to £300 worth of damage though. It's a lot of money and we are still hoping someone will come forward to tell the police if they know who did this."

It is believed youngsters from the Low Hall area took the miniatures. One of the rarest stolen was a distinct white bus with an advert for Bombardier beer on the side.

Police are investigating the break-in and believe the burglars got in by forcing open a side window of the museum, causing £100 of damage to the building, and some of the museum workers' personal items have also been taken.

Mr Collier has confirmed extra security measures will be put in place this week to make sure such a break-in will not happen again.

He criticised the council last week for not doing enough to protect the museum. Mr Collier met council chief executive Simon White to discuss the Pump House security on Tuesday.

Anyone with information on the burglary should contact Walthamstow police on 8529 8666.