Imperial War Museum makes temporary U-turn on Victoria and George Cross exhibition

The Imperial War Museum has decided to keep the Lord Ashcroft Gallery open until the end of September, after previously announcing its closure.

Lord Ashcroft had made threats to sue the Imperial War Museum's (IWM) trustees over the plans to shut the gallery, according to the Telegraph newspaper.

The IWM has said that the gallery will now stay open until at least 30 September to allow children to see it throughout the summer holidays and on Victory over Japan Day on 15 August.

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"Pleased to announce that the Imperial War Museum has now accepted that it must keep the Lord Ashcroft Gallery open until the end of September," Lord Ashcroft wrote in a post on X.

"This will mean that school children, summer visitors to London and others can enjoy my unique collection of over 200 Victoria Cross and George Cross decorations until VJ Day and beyond."

The gallery hosts a £70m collection of 230 Victoria Crosses and George Cross medals.

The collection was originally going to be closed so that the IWM could update its collection and better represent conflicts beyond the World Wars, the London-based museum said.

The IWM is expected to put its own collection of crosses on display after it gives back Lord Ashcroft's collection, the Telegraph said.

The museum has displayed Victoria Crosses and George Crosses since 1968.

The IWM is working on new gallery spaces on its upper floors to expand coverage of more recent conflicts, including the Cold War, Afghanistan and Iraq.