Sun sets on UK's only museum on the British Empire

The British Empire and Commonwealth Museum has been forced to sell its premises in Bristol and give up its collections because of the public's dislike towards the nations's colonial past.

Sir Neil Cossons, chairman of the museum's board of trustees, blamed the demise on 'post-imperial angst'.

"I think the time has not yet arrived for the proper story of Empire and Commonwealth to be told," he said.

Although attitudes to Empire were improving, he said it was still an "unfashionable subject" and "more healing of time" was required.

The museum opened in Bristol in 2002 but closed in 2008. It was hoped that selling the building would pay for the collection to move to London, the Daily Mail reported.

But despite fetching 3.1 million pounds, the museum failed to find a home in the capital.

Now its 50,000-strong collection of written records, photographs, film clips, paintings, letters and artefacts has been gifted to Bristol Museum.

Last week three Lord Lieutenants, who advise the Queen on the awarding of honours, said the term Empire should be removed from awards such as 'the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' (OBE)and 'Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' (CBE) because it was anachronistic.