Blenheim Palace has confirmed that it is in discussions with the police regarding millions of pounds which have allegedly been stolen by staff over the past 20 years.

The Oxfordshire palace, which is owned by the Duke of Marlborough and welcomes around 40,000 visitors per day at peak season, discovered the theft was apparently facilitated by staff misuse of ‘two-for-one’ entry vouchers to the palace.

A small number of staff allegedly went to other English heritage sites and collected the vouchers before swopping them for cash at the Blenheim Palace tills, to the value of around £11 a single entry ticket.

The scam came to light when a new finance director was appointed and raised concerns last year.

It has been reported that past staff members have been interviewed and that one person apparently managed to hoard around £100,000 in his attic.

A statement from chief executive of the palace, John Hoy, said: “We confirm that we are in discussions with the police about the matter. Obviously, it is an important issue and we are confident that it is being dealt with appropriately.” Details: www.blenheimpalace.com