Seller of Shakespeare folio denies wrongdoing

Jul 13 2008 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

A BOOK dealer quizzed over a stolen £15m Shakespeare manuscript claimed the raid on his home was much ado about nothing.

Raymond Scott, 51, was released on bail by police after being questioned in connection with the first folio of a collection of The Bard’s works, which vanished a decade ago from Durham University library.

Eccentric Mr Scott insists the book he sold was not the stolen one and that he was in fact trying to publicise his “discovery” . . . not flog it in a shady deal.

Mr Scott — who lives with his mother Hannah, 75, in a modest terraced house in Washington, Tyne and Wear — said he had acquired his manuscript legally.

He said: “There are questions over the rarity of this book. In July 2006 a copy was sold at Sotheby’s . . . it is by no means a unique item. During the interview with the police I asked ‘how can you possibly know we are dealing with the same book?’ and they shuffled in their seats and looked very uncomfortable at that point.

“I have done nothing wrong. I came by the manuscript through contacts in Cuba and took it to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC.

“I even suggested the Washington Post should be contacted about my discovery, which is not the act of a person with something to hide.”

Last Thursday, police raided Mr Scott’s home and took away boxes of books, most of which Mr Scott claims are new editions which can be bought from bookstores.

The first folio edition stolen from Durham University in December 1998 — valued at £15m — forms part of a collection of the works of William Shakespeare published in 1623, and was among a number of manuscripts and books stolen from the library.

Police in Durham were alerted by the British Embassy in the US, who told of a man who had been to the Washington DC library with the folio.

A police spokesman said: “It is understood he told staff he was an international businessman who had bought the folio in Cuba and agreed to leave it with the library for research to be carried out.

“Their checks revealed it as the one stolen from Durham City and they informed the authorities.

“At the time of the theft in 1998 police believed the ancient books were stolen to order. Glass-topped display cabinets had been forced and the two medieval manuscripts and five other books had disappeared.”