Burglars have stolen an 18-carat gold toilet from Britain's Blenheim Palace, where it had been installed as an art exhibit, police said on Saturday.

The solid gold toilet was part of an exhibition of work by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, which opened Thursday at the stately home 60 miles west of London. As a World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, the Palace is a major tourist attraction.

Entitled "America," the toilet was previously on display in a cubicle at New York's Guggenheim Museum, where more than 100,000 visitors were able to use it.

Thieves with at least two vehicles broke into the palace and removed the toilet some time before 5 a.m. (0400 GMT), Thames Valley Police said.

"Due to the toilet being plumbed in to the building, this has caused significant damage and flooding," said Detective Inspector Jess Milne.

It's said that a 66-year-old man in connection with the theft was arrested, but the artwork has not been found.

Blenheim Palace said it was saddened by the loss of the "precious" artwork, and that the rest of the exhibition would reopen on Sunday.

At present, the man is in police custody.