In a lightning-fast robbery, a gang of criminals have stolen priceless jewellery from the renowned Louvre Museum in Paris, shocking the art world and leaving French authorities searching for answers.

The museum, visited by millions of tourists every year, was cordoned off on Sunday following the daylight heist, with soldiers patrolling its perimeter.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told radio station France Inter: "A major robbery took place this morning in the Apollo Gallery. Individuals entered the Louvre museum from outside, using an external freight elevator that was positioned on a truck."

The Apollo Gallery houses the French Crown Jewels, as well as treasures including Louis XIV's hardstone vessel collection.

The theft unfolded just 250 metres from the Mona Lisa painting

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