Light-fingered Champagne Charlies helped themselves to £40,000 worth of bubbly from a parked lorry while the driver was asleep inside – but turned their noses up at the Coca-Cola concentrate in the HGV parked in front.
The theft happened between 11pm on Sunday and 5am on Monday when the Hungarian-registered articulated HGV was parked up for the night in a pull-in layby on the northbound carriageway of the A40, opposite the VOSA weighbridge, just short of the Overross roundabout.
The Hungarian driver checked the trailer at 11pm, before going to sleep for the night in the cab at the front of the lorry, but when he awoke at 5am he found the nearside curtain of the trailer slashed and champagne from nine pallets had been removed. Police said the theft was all the more incredible because it was in a layby at the edge of the A40 in full view of motorists travelling north to the M50. Because of how the lorry was parked, the drink must have been removed by hand which would have slowed up the process.
The stolen bottles, valued at £40,000, bore the Nicole d’Aurigny label. They are 75cl in volume and 12 per cent alcohol. Champagne quaffers are asked to be on the alert for the label if offered on the cheap.
PC Ed Williams, of the Vehicle Crime Unit at Hereford, said: “The thieves were very bold, committing the crime almost in front of everyone. Several hundreds of champagne bottles have been stolen. Because the lorry was parked at the side of the main road and close to a hedge, it was impossible to use a fork-lift to empty the trailer. The thieves had to remove the boxes of bubbly by hand. This must have taken some considerable time as each box only contained six bottles.”
The thieves also attacked an Irish-registered HGV in front of the champagne lorry. They again slashed the nearside curtain, but seeing the vehicle only contained Coca-Cola concentrate, en-route to Colwall, they left the contents intact. The lorry had to return to Ireland as Coca-Cola would not accept the consignment for fear of contamination.
“A great many drivers, particularly truckers, would have passed the scene of this theft during the early hours,” said PC Williams. “Someone must have seen something – people moving about carrying boxes, another vehicle to take it all away. We would urge those people to come forward as soon as possible.”
Anyone with information can contact PC Ed Williams or his colleagues at the Vehicle Crime Unit at Hereford Police Station on 0300 333 3000. Alternatively, call the confidential Crimestoppers line 0800 555111.