A raid on France’s top museum that saw thieves flee with royal jewels has raised awkward questions about how well the country’s priceless cultural heritage is being protected.

How could robbers with power tools break in and steal crowns and sapphire and emerald necklaces? And how can a museum spanning 73,000 square metres and housing around 35,000 works of art be secured?

The government said authorities had already begun reviewing security at the vast Paris venue before the heist. Labour unions there have complained that security staff positions there have been cut.

Here are some of the issues raised by Sunday’s drama:

– Security warning decades ago –

The Louvre’s then director Pierre Rosenberg warned that the museum’s security was “fragile”, after a painting by French master Camille

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