The British Museum has been partially closed off to visitors after a former worker allegedly shut down its IT network.

An ex-employee has been arrested after allegedly trespassing onto the museum site and shutting down its computer systems in an IT attack earlier this week.

Some of the cultural centre's galleries were closed on Friday following the incident with limited capacity for ticketholders this weekend, the London-based institution said.

"An IT contractor who was dismissed last week trespassed into the museum and shut down several of our systems," a spokesperson told the BBC.

"Police attended and he was arrested at the scene."

"We are working hard to get the museum back to being fully operational but with regret our temporary exhibitions have been closed today and will remain so over the weekend," they added. "Ticket holders have been alerted and refunds offered."

The British Museum welcomes millions of people each year to view historical artefacts including the Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo and the Rosetta Stone.

However, around 1,500 objects were revealed to be missing or stolen from its collection in August 2023, with legal proceedings launched against former curator Dr Peter Higgs last year.

Mr Higgs was dismissed in July 2023 after working for 30 years in the Department of Greece and Rome.

The fallout from the scandal also saw former museum director Hartwig Fischer hand in his resignation.

Nicholas Cullinan, who previously acted as head of the National Portrait Gallery, took on the role in March 2024.

Three temporary exhibitions on Silk Roads, Picasso's prints and the sculptor Hew Locke reportedly remain closed today following the alleged attack.

The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for comment.