October 15, 2014 9.19 am This story is over 112 months old

Police on ‘keg watch’ after Lincolnshire pub burglaries

Spotted a keg?: A police operation to tackle continued thefts of aluminium kegs has resulted in a joint agency recovery operation in Lincoln.

A police operation to tackle continued thefts of aluminium kegs has resulted in a joint agency recovery operation in Lincoln.

During the operation, 15 kegs were recovered from a site in Lincoln and returned to their owners via the independent site Keg Watch.

Whilst the offenders could not be identified, the action of seizing these kegs disrupted and deprived the offenders of an opportunity to financially benefit from their theft.

The theft of aluminium kegs from pubs and licensed premises in Lincolnshire is an ongoing problem for Lincolnshire Police.

Often, gangs and opportunists have targeted kegs kept outside awaiting collection by breweries.

The kegs are taken to be melted down for their considerable scrap value. They are either melted down by the offenders or cut up into unrecognisable parts, then taken to scrap metal yards to be disposed of.

Police say the criminal activity is often used as a means of funding other criminal behaviour.

The only people who can lawfully posses aluminium kegs are the licensed premises and authorised delivery persons.

Lincolnshire Police are encouraging members of the public to report any sightings of kegs, whether they are abandoned at the roadside or being transported around by illegally by the thieves.

Anyone with information about what they believe may be stolen kegs is asked to contact Lincolnshire Police on 101.