British Museum bans visitors from photographing Bayeux Tapestry

Visitors stopping to take pictures of the 68m medieval embroidery were holding up others, prompting the rule change. The British Museum has banned visitors from taking photographs of the Bayeux Tapestry over concerns that they were taking too long to view the historic work. Curators had initially allowed photos to be taken but reversed that decision after long queues delayed ticket-holders from accessing the exhibition. The medieval embroidery, which is on display in Britain for the first time, depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England and the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Visitors are being allowed into the sold-out exhibit in groups every 40 minutes and told to keep moving along the 68m (230ft) work in one direction.

But people stopping to take photographs along the way was restricting that flow and delaying later visitors. A British Museum spokeswoman said: "There has been enormous interest in viewing the tapestry, and our priority is to ensure that all visitors have the best experience possible. "In order to do this, we have made the decision to restrict photography while people are moving along the length of the tapestry." The 11th Century artwork – which is not a tapestry and was actually embroidered in England – is currently on loan from its home in Normandy, France, and will be