France museum heist sees at least 4 August Renoir paintings worth £10million stolen

France museum heist sees at least 4 August Renoir paintings worth £10million stolen Burglars were filmed breaking into the building in Cagnes-sur-Mer, near Nice, on Tuesday morning - This is a breaking story and is being constantly updated. Please return to this page for the latest updates. Thieves have stolen at least four paintings by the French impressionist August Renoir worth around £10million from a museum in the south of France. Burglars were filmed breaking into the Renoir museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, near Nice, on Tuesday morning. A source investigating the theft said: "The alarm sounded at 5.48am, and two hooded individuals were recorded on CCTV." One of the artworks was dropped by the thieves as they fled the scene. The men were seen cutting the paintings from their frames, to make them easier to get out of the allegedly high-security building. The Mayor of Cagnes, Bryan Masson, said: "The two individuals were filmed running away by the town's video surveillance cameras. They abandoned one of the paintings as they ran." Police were pictured outside the museum on Tuesday morning, after the heist. Mayor Masson added: "The perpetrators are being actively sought, and the investigation is ongoing. Attacking the Renoir Museum is attacking a part of the history and heritage of #CagnesSurMer. These events are particularly serious. "They also confirm the urgent need to implement the comprehensive plan to secure our museums and protect our works of art, a plan to which I have committed. We will dedicate all necessary resources to better protect this heritage, which belongs to all the residents of Cagnes." This comes months after the notorious Louvre heist where a group of thieves, disguised as workmen, broke into the iconic museum's Apollo Gallery and ran off with £75 million worth of crown jewels. Just three Renoir paintings would be worth at least £10million on the open market, according to art experts. Massively popular Renoir works displayed in the Cagnes museum include La Ferme des Collettes, which is titled The Farm at Les Collettes, in English. The oil on canvas piece was completed in 1915, and depicts the place Renoir moved to in 1908. The Renoir Museum is housed in the site depicted in the painting, and was displayed in what was once Renoir's bedroom. This is a breaking news story. Follow us on Google News , Flipboard , Apple News , Twitter , Facebook or visit The Mirror homepage.