photo: flickr - by TechSavi

Police in Tower Hamlets are appealing for help and information after more than a million pounds worth of vintage wine was stolen from a warehouse in Bethnal Green. Most of the wine was owned by private investors and one of them is offering a reward of £5000 for the return of a ‘subsantial’ part of the stolen stock. Two men aged between 40 and 50 have already been arrested today on suspicion of burglary and remain in custody at Bethnal Green police station.

The break-in is thought to have occurred between midday on Saturday 21st of May and 10am the following morning. The thieves broke through a padlock on the main gates of the premises located under the railway arches in Cambridge Heath Road. They then bent a shutter door to gain access to the warehouse before disabling the alarms and CCTV cameras. They proceeded to use a forklift to fill wooden pallets with about 400 cases of mainly vintage wine. Two transit vans and a lorry were then used to transport all the wine.

The break-in was discovered on the Sunday morning by a worker at the Warehouse. Six men were spotted with the vehicles at around 1.15pm last Saturday.

Investigative officer Detective Constable Ash Rossiter is appealing for anyone who is offered the goods for sale to contact the police as soon as possible:

The stolen stock is rare and valuable. It may be the aim of those who have stolen it to try and sell it to private collectors or auction houses.

Anyone with information should contact Tower Hamlets police on 020 8217 7268, or anonymously on 0800 555 111.