Thieves posing as truckers stole 880 barrels of Guinness – 70,400 pints – worth £115,000 from a depot in Cheshire during the last Bank Holiday. The two men arrived separately at the Whitehouse Industrial Estate on Aston Lane, Runcorn, in HGV cabs, got out, and asked a security worker to raise the barrier. Acting on inside information, they drove into the yard, hooked up to two trailers loaded with the barrels, and drove off.
Investigation and Appeals
Diageo, which owns Guinness, has a packaging warehouse on the industrial estate. Cheshire Police say they have received “an influx” of calls after launching several appeals for information, including CCTV footage of two people they wish to speak to in connection with the incident. The haul, destined for pubs and clubs, has left police forces across the UK on alert for it surfacing on the black market. The trailers have since been found empty, with no trace of the barrels.
Timeline of the Heist
The first lorry entered the Aston Lane area at about 7.45pm on August 31. It connected to a trailer containing the Guinness and left the site at about 7.55pm in the direction of the Mersey Gateway bridge. A second lorry arrived at the same site at 9.12pm, connected to another trailer also containing barrels, and left at 9.30pm in the direction of Rainhill and Watkinson Way, police said.
The first driver is described as white with a short dark beard and was wearing a beanie hat, while the second is believed to have been wearing a cap. The trailers were white tri-axle curtain side trailers with branding for logistics company GXO on the curtains and rear doors.
Trailers Found and Witness Appeal
The trailers were later located in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. One was abandoned in the Hall Lane area at around 3.15am on Tuesday September 1st, and the second was left in the Gillibrands Road area at around 12.07pm on Wednesday September 2nd. Police are yet to locate a key witness who could have vital information. As the second trailer was left in Gillibrands Road, the HGV that had been carrying it is believed to have pulled out in front of a silver/white Renault Captur being driven by a learner driver. The Captur was from a driving school, and it is hoped it will have had dash cam footage.
Detective Sgt Gary McClatchley said: “Our officers have been following numerous lines of enquiry since the incident was reported to us, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has gotten in contact so far.”
“However, we will not settle for anything less than the full recovery of the near 900 stolen Guinness kegs and the locating of the offenders behind this brazen heist. As our investigation continues, we are now looking to identify the two men captured in the CCTV footage as we believe they hold vital information.
“I’d urge anyone who recognises these men contact us so that we can progress with our investigation and I would also strongly encourage the men in the footage to please come forward.
“As we have previously stated, these kegs are stolen goods that are looking to be sold on by criminals. So, we are continuing to urge anyone who is approached by any prospective Guinness sellers to remain cautious and, as always, report any suspicions to police.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Cheshire Police via the website, or by calling 101, and using incident reference number IML-2408641.
