The copy of Magna Carta held by Salisbury Cathedral is one of four surviving originalsA man who tried to steal Salisbury Cathedral’s original copy of Magna Carta was caught by “good-spirited” stonemasons and American tourists, a court heard. Mark Royden, 47, from Canterbury, is accused of setting off a fire alarm to cause chaos in the cathedral on October 25, 2018, before using a hammer to try to smash the protective case containing the charter. Rob Welling, for the prosecution, told Salisbury crown court that when Mr Royden failed to get through the casing, members of the public, American tourists and an employee tried to contain him within a set of glass doors but he threatened them with the hammer. Mark Royden is alleged to have threatened people with a hammer ROGER ARBON/SOLENT NEWSLeigh Chalmers, an outreach worker at the cathedral, told the court how she and others struggled with Mr Royden

Source: The Times January 27, 2020 17:22 UTC