Thieves stole more than 70,000 pints of Guinness after hijacking two heavy goods vehicle trailers from an industrial estate in Runcorn, England, according to Cheshire Constabulary. The stolen cargo comprises approximately 800 barrels of the Irish stout with a combined product value of £115,000, while the total loss including the transport trailers reaches an estimated £205,000, according to police statements.
Timeline of the Runcorn Depot Theft
The coordinated thefts took place on Monday at a packaging warehouse operated by brand owner Diageo on the Whitehouse Industrial Estate along Aston Lane. Police investigations indicate the operation involved two separate lorries driven by men over the course of the evening.
According to Cheshire Constabulary, the first lorry driver arrived at the site and connected to an HGV trailer loaded with Guinness barrels at approximately 7:45 PM. That vehicle left the estate at about 7:55 PM, traveling toward the Mersey Gateway bridge. Police describe this first suspect as a white male with a short dark beard, wearing a beanie hat.
A second lorry entered the same facility later that evening at 9:12 PM. The driver hooked up to a second trailer containing more stout barrels and departed the scene at 9:30 PM, heading toward Rainhill and Watkinson Way. Investigators describe the second driver as a man wearing a cap.
Stolen Equipment and Public Appeal
The stolen assets include two white tri-axle curtain side trailers bearing distinctive branding for logistics company GXO on their curtains and rear doors. Authorities noted that the specific trucks carry unique identification numbers—DL736 and DL542—located on the top left corner of their rear doors.
The targeted barrels were intended for delivery to pubs, according to logistics details. Law enforcement officials have launched a formal appeal for witnesses and motorists with dashcam footage covering the Aston Lane area during the incident windows.
“We will settle for nothing less than the full recovery of all the items stolen,” Detective Sergeant McClatchy of Cheshire Constabulary said, adding that investigators are urging anyone with relevant information to contact police via the force’s website or by calling 101 under incident reference number IML-2408641.