Brazen thieves stole two HGV trailers containing more than 70,000 pints worth of Guinness from a depot in Runcorn, Cheshire, on Monday evening. The stolen barrels, estimated to be worth £115,000, were taken from the Whitehouse Industrial Estate.
Cheshire Constabulary is appealing for witnesses who may have seen a lorry entering the Aston Lane area around 7:45 p.m. Detectives reported that the first lorry connected to an HGV trailer containing the Guinness and left the site at approximately 7:55 p.m. in the direction of the Mersey Gateway bridge. A second lorry arrived at the same site at 9:12 p.m., connected to another trailer also carrying Guinness barrels, and departed at 9:30 p.m. heading toward Rainhill and Watkinson Way.
The stolen barrels, which hold about 70,400 pints of the Irish stout, were awaiting delivery to pubs. Diageo, the owner of Guinness, operates a packaging warehouse on the Whitehouse Industrial Estate.
Police believe both HGVs were driven by men. The first driver was described as white with a short dark beard and wearing a beanie hat, while the second is believed to have been wearing a cap. The total estimated value of the stolen items, including the trailers and the Guinness, is approximately £205,000.
The trailers are described as white tri-axle curtain side trailers branded with the logistics company GXO on their curtains and rear doors. They also have unique ID numbers on their rear doors in the top left corner: DL736 or DL542.
Detective Sergeant McClatchy stated, "It is famously said that 'Guinness is good for you,' but that is only the case when it has been bought and paid for. It is with this in mind that we have wasted no time in launching enquiries to identify those responsible for the theft of £115,000 worth Guinness and the two trailers that housed the barrels – we will settle for nothing less than the full recovery of all the items stolen."
Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward and speak to officers. Motorists who were in the area during the incidents are asked to review any dashcam footage for anything that could aid the investigation. Information can be provided via the police website or by calling 101, referencing incident number IML-2408641.