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18. 04. 12. - 11:00

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18. 04. 12. - 11:00

Rising Crime

Michael Leidig

Thieves who stole gold roof tiles from the top of one of Austria's most famous monuments have handed the tiles back with an apology note.

The famous Golden Roof in Innsbruck, Austria, was built by Archduke Friedrich IV in the early 15th century to allow Emperor Maximilian I to have a royal box from where he could sit and enjoy tournaments in the square below.

The tiles are made of copper but coated with real gold - protecting the three-story balcony below from the weather.

Five of eight golden roof tiles were stolen after workers put scaffolding on the outside of the building allowing the crooks to clamber up and make off with a plastic bag filled with golden tiles.

But the plastic bag was dumped in the centre of town this week together with an apology note. Passers-by who found the tiles handed them into police.

Now police are examining the pieces to see if there are any DNA traces from the thieves on them.

A police spokesman said: "The thieves probably realised that the theft was a bit more serious than they intended – and hoped to put things right by returning the tiles. But we're still trying to track them down."

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Peak Performance
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Chinese Fakeaway
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Austrian children help Romanian kids
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Policeman accused of sex with the son of his girlfriend
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Serial killer survivor walks away alive after fall
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The son of Qatar Airlines BA beaten up in Romania
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Majority starts president’s suspension procedures
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Some 177 Roma repatriated by French authorities to Romania
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