TWO men involved in the theft of valuable Chinese artefacts from a North-East museum have been handed hefty prison sentences for their part in the raid.

Lee Wildman, 36, of Remmington Road, Beechdale, Walsall, has been jailed for nine years and his accomplice Adrian Stanton, 33, of Telford Road, Walsall, eight years.

Both men were sentenced at Durham Crown Court this morning. They had previously admitted conspiracy to burgle, following the raid on Durham's Oriental Museum last year.

The other members of the gang will be sentenced this afternoon.

Full story to follow.