Stolen mulled wine worth £110k found in lorry stop

Police say they recovered 26 pallets of the Christmassy concoction

Police who pulled over a suspected stolen lorry received an early Christmas present when they recovered mulled wine worth more than £110,000 from the vehicle's trailer.

Roads policing officers stopped the lorry, believed to have been stolen in Kent, on Hooton Road in Rotherham on Tuesday.

The driver, 45, initially went to run off but halted when a police dog handler and his furry companion Rocco challenged him.

Inside the back of the vehicle, officers recovered 26 pallets of the aromatic festive tipple. The driver was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, driving without a licence or insurance, driving while disqualified, and possessing Class A and B drugs.

Insp Matt Collings of South Yorkshire Police said: "We know that those involved in criminality are more likely to take greater risks on the roads and this driver is a true example."

He said the suspect, who has since been released on bail, could have caused "serious damage and fatalities if involved in a collision".

"This was a great result for officers who recovered the stolen property and arrested a suspect," he added.

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