Four men charged over the theft of a £4.8 million gold toilet from Blenheim Palace have appeared in court.

James Sheen, 39, from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, and Michael Jones, 38, from Oxford, are accused of burgling the 18-carat art installation in an overnight raid in the early hours of September 14 2019.

Sheen is also charged with transferring criminal property.

Sheen, 35-year-old Frederick Sines from Ascot, Berkshire, and Bora Guccuk, 39, from west London, are also charged with one count of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.

The fully functioning toilet, titled America, was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and housed in the Oxfordshire country house where Sir Winston Churchill was born.

All four defendants were granted unconditional bail at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and will next appear at Oxford Crown Court at 10am on January 4.