Louvre Museum director Laurence des Cars acknowledged that security failures, including a lack of perimeter surveillance, allowed thieves to pull off heist.

Laurence des Cars, the head of the Paris museum, told a Senate hearing that she had offered to resign after the stunning theft of royal jewels.

Laurence des Cars is speaking for the first time since a gang of masked thieves - who remain at large - carried out Sunday's robbery.

This request for a police presence comes amid cuts of 200 full-time posts at the Louvre over the last 15 years.

No security cameras were monitoring the second-floor balcony where thieves gained access to the Louvre to steal historic jewels worth over $100 million, the museum’s director told a French Senate committee hearing.

The only camera monitoring the exterior wall of the Louvre where they broke in was pointing away from the first-floor balcony that led to Gallery of Apollo housing the jewels, she said. "We failed these jewels," she said, adding that no-one was protected from "brutal criminals - not even the Louvre".

At a Senate hearing, Louvre director Laurence des Cars detailed failures in the Paris museum's security and also confirmed that she had offered to resign but the move was rejected by Culture Minister Rachida Dati.

Laurence des Cars pointed to long-term security issues and overdue upgrades that may have facilitated the thieves’ brazen daylight break-in.

The Louvre museum in Paris faced a major heist, where eight crown jewels were stolen in broad daylight. Director Laurence des Cars acknowledged security failures and offered her resignation. The theft has put French leaders under scrutiny and highlighted vulnerabilities in one of the world's cultural treasures.