Officers seize 450 stolen beer kegs

Police seized 450 stolen beer kegs worth around £45,000 following a raid at a Black Country scrapyard.

A team of 20 officers, who were acting on a tip-off, swooped on the site in Coseley yesterday.

The empty metal kegs, believed to be destined for the black market, were being stored inside skips, and some of them had already been crushed. The high price of steel means that they are a prize commodity and can fetch large sums.

Acting sergeant for Sedgley, Kris Beardsmore, who led the raid, said: "This was an excellent result, with a large amount of kegs seized.

"We want to stop people taking these kegs and selling them on."

The team, which included officers from Sedgley police station, members of the road traffic unit and special officers, spent five hours searching the site, which has not been identified.

Two vehicles including a car were also seized by police during the raid and are being investigated.

The kegs were taken to a national storage warehouse where they will be kept temporarily in case they are needed as evidence in any criminal proceedings.

No arrests have been made, and investigations are continuing.

The raid was carried out as part of the national Keg Watch scheme set up by brewers and the police to combat the theft of kegs.