Dec 19, 2007 - 16:26

R2-D2 kidnapped from museum

Unidentified thieves have stolen a replica of the Star Wars robot R2-D2 from a film prop museum in Frauenfeld, canton Thurgau.

According to local police, the theft must have occurred some time between the beginning of the month and Tuesday, when some objects were reported missing.

The thieves broke into a basement storage room, making off with an exact copy of the famed robot character as well as other items. The 1.2-metre-high robot is worth thousands of Swiss francs according to its owner, Roman Güttinger.

Güttinger's hoard of props from horror, adventure and science fiction films is considered the biggest private collection in Europe.

He has gathered around 2,500 items, including rarities such as the monster from the Alien films and the Batmobile from Batman.