A golden casket which is believed to contain drops of blood from Jesus' crucifixion has been recovered after being stolen from an Abbey in France.

The "Precious Blood of Christ" relic, which is one of the most sacred artefacts of the Catholic Church, was taken from Fecamp Abbey in Normandy at the beginning of June. Other valuables were also taken from the church in an act which was denounced by the Bishop of Le Havre, Jean-Luc Brunin as an attack on all Christians.  

A Dutch detective, known as the 'Indiana Jones' of the art world for his ability to recover stolen masterpieces, said he was recently contacted anonymously by thieves who later left the relic on his doorstep in Amsterdam, more than 300 miles from where it had been stolen.

Arthur Brand tweeted: "I recovered the legendary 'Blood of Jesus' of Fécamp ('Précieux Sang'), one of the oldest and holiest relics of the Catholic Church. Said to contain blood drops of Jesus Christ, collected in the Holy Grail from his wounds at the Cross. Stolen on June 2nd 2022 in France. AMEN!"

The detective who has recovered Picasso paintings and priceless Persian medieval manuscripts, said that the thieves had panicked when realising what the casket contained:

"To have the ultimate relic, the blood of Christ, which you have stolen, in your home is a curse, even if you are not a believer. To have an artefact that is the ultimate relic for over billion believers on earth is a curse."

The casket contains two lead vials, believed to hold the blood of Jesus from his crucifixion. It's said to have been taken by one of Jesus' followers, Joseph of Arimathea, and thrown into the sea in a trunk on his way to Britain to avoid seizure by Romans.