Thieves steal 70,000 pints of Guinness worth £205,000 from Runcorn depot

Two HGV trailers containing around 800 barrels of Guinness were taken from an industrial estate in Runcorn. Police estimate the total haul, including the trailers, is worth £205,000.

Two HGV trailers of Guinness taken from Cheshire industrial estate

More than 70,000 pints of Guinness have been stolen from a depot in Runcorn, Cheshire Constabulary has confirmed. The Daily Express reports that approximately 800 barrels of the stout — valued at around £115,000 — were removed from the Whitehouse Industrial Estate on Aston Lane on Monday evening.

The theft involved two separate lorries, both believed to have been driven by men. The first connected to an HGV trailer at approximately 7.45pm and left the site at 7.55pm, heading in the direction of the Mersey Gateway bridge. A second lorry arrived at 9.12pm, coupled to another trailer containing further barrels, and departed at 9.30pm towards Rainhill and Watkinson Way.

The first driver is described as a white male with a short dark beard, wearing a beanie hat. The second is believed to have been wearing a cap.

The barrels, totalling around 70,400 pints, had been due for delivery to pubs. The Whitehouse Industrial Estate on Aston Lane houses a packaging warehouse operated by Diageo, the company that owns Guinness.

Including the value of the two stolen trailers, Cheshire Constabulary estimates the total loss at approximately £205,000. The trailers are described as white tri-axle curtain side models bearing branding for logistics company GXO on their curtains and rear doors. They carry the unique identification numbers DL736 and DL542, marked on the top left corner of their rear doors.

Police say they are hopeful of a full recovery and have issued an appeal for witnesses. Anyone who saw a lorry in the Aston Lane area during either time window, or who holds dashcam footage from the surrounding roads, is asked to contact Cheshire Constabulary via its website or by calling 101, quoting incident reference number IML-2408641.

Source: Daily Express