Police are investigating the theft of more than 70,000 pints of Guinness after two lorries were used to remove around 800 barrels from a depot in Runcorn.
The stout, worth about £115,000, was taken from the Whitehouse Industrial Estate on Aston Lane on Monday 31 August. Including the two HGV trailers used to transport it, the total value of the stolen goods is estimated at approximately £205,000.
Cheshire Constabulary said the first lorry arrived at about 7.45pm and was coupled to a trailer loaded with Guinness before leaving roughly 10 minutes later in the direction of the Mersey Gateway bridge.
A second vehicle reached the site at 9.12pm and was attached to another Guinness-filled trailer. It left at about 9.30pm, travelling towards Rainhill and Watkinson Way.
The barrels were due to be delivered to pubs. Diageo, which owns Guinness, operates a packaging warehouse on the industrial estate.
Detective Sergeant Gary McClatchy said: “It is famously said that ‘Guinness is good for you’, but that is only the case when it has been bought and paid for.”
He added that officers were seeking to identify those responsible and would work towards the “full recovery of all the items stolen”.
Police appeal over stolen Guinness trailers
Both HGV trailers are described as white, tri-axle curtainsiders bearing GXO branding on the curtains and rear doors. Their identification numbers are DL736 and DL542.
Police believe both vehicles were driven by men. The first driver was described as white, with a short dark beard and wearing a beanie hat, while the second was believed to have been wearing a cap.
Investigators are appealing to anyone who saw lorries in the Aston Lane area at the relevant times, or who may have dashcam or other video footage, to contact Cheshire Constabulary.
Information can be provided through the force’s website or by calling 101, quoting incident reference IML-2408641.
