Trinity Bell. Picture courtesy Jordon Powell

by Jamie Stephens

Artefacts dating back hundreds of years have been seized from a Ramsgate home.

English Heritage, working with Kent and Essex Police, have recovered the items, said to be of huge historical importance from the Thanet house.

It's believed the artefacts were looted from the historic wreck of HMS London, a warship that sank off Southend in 1665.

Mark Harrison, Policing Advisor of English Heritage, said: "The police acted very swiftly and English Heritage archaeologists were also on site to assess the significance of the seized articles.

"This kind of close partnership is important to tackling heritage crimes like these and we are very pleased that it is producing results."

The HMS London. Picture courtesy National Maritime Museum

The London was a 64-gun warship blown up accidentally in peacetime, just a year after its launch.

Celebrated writer Samuel Pepys wrote in his diary at the time that 300 were killed immediately, but 24 were blown clear and survived including one woman.

The wreck was rediscovered in 2008 and the routes of shipping channels through the Estuary changed to prevent further damage and allow archaelogists to investigate, leading to what was the largest ever post-war salvage operation on the Thames.

The raid, which was part of a recently launched heritage crime initiative, recovered over 150 exhibits, including a 2-tonne cannon, a Trinity House bell estimated at £50,000, as well as £7,000 in cash.

A 44-year old man from Ramsgate and a 54-year old Dover man have been arrested in connection with the theft of items from a protected wreck in the Thames Estuary.

Both men are being questioned at a police station in Kent.