Thieves steal more than 70,000 pints’ worth of Guinness from Cheshire depot

The slogan “Guinness is good for you” applies only when the drink has been bought and paid for, police said after thieves stole more than 70,000 pints’ worth from a depot in Runcorn.

Cheshire police believe two lorries entered the depot on Monday evening and attached themselves to waiting trailers. The trailers held about 800 barrels of Guinness, enough for an estimated 70,400 pints, which had been due for delivery to pubs.

The first lorry arrived at about 7.45pm and left around 7.55pm in the direction of the Mersey Gateway bridge. A second lorry reached the site at 9.12pm and departed at 9.30pm towards Rainhill and Watkinson Way. Police said each vehicle was driven by a man.

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It is famously said that ‘Guinness is good for you’, but that is only the case when it has been bought and paid for.

Detective Sergeant McClatchy said officers had launched inquiries to identify those responsible for stealing Guinness worth £115,000, along with the two trailers. “We will settle for nothing less than the full recovery of all the items stolen,” he said. Police appealed to witnesses and motorists who may have captured the vehicles on dashcam footage.

The stolen trailers were white, tri-axle curtain-siders bearing GXO logistics branding. They carried the identification numbers DL736 and DL542. One suspected driver was described as white, with a short dark beard and a beanie hat. The other was believed to have worn a cap. When the trailers and their contents are included, the total value of the stolen items is estimated at about £205,000.

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We will settle for nothing less than the full recovery of all the items stolen.