Woes continue for Louvre museum as water leak damages rare books

Back in October, £77million worth of jewels were stolen from the iconic Paris landmark.

The haul, which included a diamond and emerald necklace Napoleon gave to Empress Marie-Louise, jewels tied to 19th-century Queens Marie-Amelie and Hortense, and Empress Eugenie's pearl and diamond tiara, has still not been recovered.

Problems with the Egyptian department's library had apparently been known about for years, with repairs scheduled for next September.

Experts say it shows the deteriorating state of the world's most visited museum.

The volumes will reportedly be dried, sent to a bookbinder and restored before being returned to shelves.

Read more: Flooding and power outages possible as yellow weather warnings for wind and rain issued

Read more: Parents to fork out £117 per child on winter clothing, survey suggests

The leak is the third major issue faced by the museum in as many months.

A report published in October by France's public audit body, the Cour des Comptes, criticised the museum's excessive spending on artwork, which it said was "to the detriment of the maintenance and renovation of buildings."

In November, structural weaknesses prompted the partial closure of one of the galleries hosting Greek vases and offices.

Following the theft in October, the museum has since moved some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France.

The thieves took less than eight minutes to force their way through a window into the ornate Apollo Gallery, break into the jewellery display cases with disc cutters and make off with the trove, descending on a freight lift to meet up with riders on scooters who whisked them away.

French authorities have arrested four more people in connection with the heist, a Paris prosecutor has said.