Man arrested in relation to £300k cheese theft
31st October 2024
A 63-year-old man has been arrested after over 950 wheels of cheddar, worth £300,000, have been stolen from a London-based artisanal cheese maker.
Neal’s Yard Dairy has reported that 22 tonnes of Hafod, Westcombe and Pitchfork Cheddar were stolen on 21st October.
The fraudsters who posed as an agent of a French supermarket have received the biggest order in the company’s history and did not pay for it.
According to the BBC, a man was taken to a south London police station, where he was questioned in relation to the case.
He has been bailed pending further enquiries, which are ongoing.
READ MORE: 22 tonnes of cheddar worth £300k have been stolen from artisanal cheese maker
Investigation continues
Patrick Holden of Neal’s Yard Dairy explained that the robbers asked Neal’s Yard to dispatch it to another warehouse in or around London, from which it was then collected by these nefarious people, and then it disappeared, so they cleverly covered their tracks.
“They have already claimed £300,000, these criminals, and if they sell the cheese they’ll get more again”, Mr Holden said a few days ago.
He added: “Despite the significant financial blow, we have honoured our commitment to our small-scale suppliers and paid all three artisan cheesemakers in full.
“In the meantime, we would like to put out a call to everyone within our esteemed community of cheesemongers around the world.
“If anyone is offered or receives cheeses they believe may have been associated with this theft, particularly clothbound Cheddars in a 10kg or 24kg format with the tags detached, please contact info@nealsyarddairy.co.uk so we can support the police in their investigation.
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