70,000 Pints of Guinness Stolen in UK Heist After Thieves Flee With 800 Barrels Bound for Pubs

Around 70,000 pints of Guinness destined for British pubs have been stolen after thieves drove away with two loaded trailers containing around 800 barrels of the stout in a major UK heist.

According to reports, the theft happened at a depot on the Whitehouse Industrial Estate in Runcorn, Cheshire, on the evening of Bank Holiday Monday, 31 August.

Cheshire Police are searching for the drivers and appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage as officers attempt to recover the beer and trailers, worth approximately £205,000 combined.

Thieves Steal 70,000 Pints Of Guinness

The stolen Guinness alone is estimated to be worth around £115,000, with the two trailers bringing the total value of the haul to approximately £205,000.

According to Cheshire Police, two separate lorries entered the site on Aston Lane several hours apart before connecting to trailers that had already been loaded with Guinness.

The first lorry arrived at approximately 7.45pm to 7.55pm. The driver connected the vehicle to one of the loaded trailers before leaving the industrial estate and travelling towards the Mersey Gateway bridge.

Police described the first driver as a white man with a short dark beard who was wearing a beanie hat.

Second Lorry Fled With Another Trailer

A second lorry arrived at the depot at around 9.12pm that evening and collected another pre-loaded trailer.

It left at approximately 9.30pm and travelled in the direction of Rainhill and Watkinson Way. Police believe the second vehicle was also driven by a man, who was thought to be wearing a cap.

Together, the two trailers contained around 800 barrels of Guinness, equivalent to approximately 70,000 to 70,400 pints.

The Guinness had been intended for distribution to pubs before the trailers were taken.

Police Hunt for Two Trailers and 800 Guinness Barrels

Both stolen trailers have been described as white tri-axle curtain-siders belonging to logistics company GXO.

They display GXO branding on their curtains and rear doors, potentially making them identifiable to motorists who encountered the vehicles following the theft.

Police identified the trailers by the unique numbers DL736 and DL542, which are displayed on the top left of their rear doors.

Diageo, the company that owns Guinness, also operates a packaging warehouse on the Whitehouse Industrial Estate.

Police Appeal for Dashcam Footage After Heist

Detective Sergeant Gary McClatchy has appealed for anyone who saw suspicious vehicles in the Aston Lane area that evening to contact police.

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

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

Investigators are particularly interested in hearing from motorists who were travelling near the industrial estate, Mersey Gateway, Rainhill or surrounding roads and may have dashcam footage showing either lorry.

The unusual theft has attracted international attention because of the sheer quantity of stout involved, with the missing haul amounting to tens of thousands of pub servings.

As of early September, police had not publicly announced any arrests or confirmed that the Guinness or trailers had been recovered. The investigation remains active as officers continue searching for the vehicles, stolen barrels and those responsible.