Someone in Liverpool could be about to have a very merry Christmas, after more than 3,000 bottles of whiskey were stolen by a fake delivery driver.
The bottles of Jameson Irish whiskey, worth approximately £18,000, were nabbed from an unsupervised trailer at McBurney Transport on Dunes Way in Kirkdale on Monday, November 25.
The thief pulled off the entire operation alone, wearing a high-vis jacket and a hard hat in an attempt to blend into his surroundings and disguise his appearance to look like he worked at the business park.
As simple as the disguise might sound, the ruse clearly worked as the man was easily able to attach the booze-filled trailer to an empty HGV cab before climbing into it and driving away.
Police are now appealing for information regarding the theft after the trailer was later found dumped on Atherton Road in Walton, with the trailer completely stripped of its contents and the crates of whiskey torn out.
Officers confirmed the whiskey was worth £18,000, with a spokesperson confirming how many bottles were stolen before describing the incident as a ‘high-value theft’, as per a statement given by Merseyside Police.
The statement read:
We’re appealing for information following the high-value theft of whiskey from a premises in Kirkdale.
At around 8.40pm on Monday 25 November, a man wearing a high-vis jacket and hard hat gained entry to McBurney Transport on Dunes Way in an empty HGV cab, and connected the cab to a trailer containing around £180,000 of Jamieson’s whiskey.
He drove off and the trailer was later found empty in Atherton Road in Walton.
It’s believed the whiskey could soon make its way onto the black market, if it hasn’t already, with police looking at that line of inquiry.
The investigation is ongoing, with police looking at forensics, CCTV, and witness statements to aid them with their enquiries.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact @MerPolCC or call 101 with reference number 19100691697. You can also pass information on anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).