A golden teacup worth more than 10m yen (£52,100) has been stolen from a department store in Tokyo after being showcased in an unlocked box.

The teacup, made of pure 24-carat gold, went missing from an outlet of the Takashimaya chain, where an array of gold items for sale were being displayed as part of an event.

The stolen teacup was one of the most expensive among more than 1,000 pieces of teaware, tableware and artefacts on display, a spokesperson for the retailer told Agence France-Presse.

“It was kept in an unlocked transparent box at the time, so it could be taken out easily for customers to take a close look,” they added.

Security footage showed a man stowing the cup in his bag before fleeing, local media reported. Police are investigating.

The display will continue but Takashimaya will increase security, the spokesperson said.

In December, Takashimaya officials were left red-faced by a fiasco over £32 Christmas cakes.

Many of the strawberry-topped cakes, which were sold online and were supposed to be immaculately decorated, were delivered to customers so mangled that the retailer was forced to publicly apologise and promise refunds.

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