Arrest after £300,000 London cheese theft
Police have made an arrest after premium cheese worth £300,000 was stolen from an upmarket London dairy.
On Wednesday, Metropolitan Police detectives arrested a 63-year-old man on suspicion of fraud by false representation and handling stolen goods in connection with the theft of 22 tonnes of cheddar from Neal’s Yard Dairy.
A spokesman for the force said the man was interviewed at a police station and later bailed.
The London cheesemonger had mistakenly sent 950 cloth-bound wheels of cheese to the fraudsters last month and this month after being fooled into believing they were a legitimate wholesale distributor.
It is thought that the cheeses may have been smuggled to the Middle East or Russia and sold on by the thieves.
Sarah Stewart, the owner of Neal’s Yard, told The Telegraph: “On Oct 30, we learnt that the Metropolitan Police made an arrest in connection with the theft. We are grateful for the progress they have made, and we will continue to support their investigation in any way we can.”
The company paid the producers of the cheeses – Hafod Welsh Organic Cheddar, Westcombe Cheddar and Pitchfork Cheddar – despite “the significant financial blow” to its balance sheet.
Tom Calver, a director of Westcombe Dairy in Somerset, welcomed the news of the arrest after 432 wheels of his dairy’s artisan raw milk cheddar, weighing 10 tonnes and representing a month’s work, were stolen in the heist.
“We’re pleased with the progress in the investigation and are waiting with bated breath for more information,” he said.
“All I want to say is a huge thank you to everyone for this story, which has seemed to capture the nation’s imagination, and potentially out of this there might be some kind of justice.
“The artisan cheese world is a small one and there is no other like it. Our industry is built on long-standing relationships where there is always trust and integrity in every sale. To feel like that and such an old, traditional artisan product as our raw milk cheddars are being targeted is incredibly concerning.”
Patrick Holden, the owner of Holden Farm Dairy in Bwlchwernen Fawr, Ceredigion, produced two and a half tonnes of organic Hafod cheddar that was also stolen.
“It shows how clever the thieves were,” he told the Cambrian News. “They couldn’t just steal it and sell it in the UK, people would find it. If it’s right that it may have gone to the Middle East or Russia, people wouldn’t be so familiar with our produce. We never thought our cheese would be the subject of such a heist.”
A spokesman for the Met said: “On Monday Oct 21, police received a report of the theft of a large quantity of cheese from a manufacturer based in Southwark.
“Investigating officers have since arrested a 63-year-old man on suspicion of fraud by false representation and handling stolen goods. The man was taken to a south London police station, where he was questioned. He has since been bailed pending further enquiries. Enquiries remain ongoing.”