Yorkshire Dales Distillery: Gin and vodka worth £85k stolen in raid

Distillery owner Tony Brotherton says robbers used a lorry and chain to pull open shipping container doors

Gin and vodka worth more than £85,000 has been stolen from a small craft distillery in North Yorkshire.

Tony Brotherton, from Yorkshire Dales Distillery, said the raid had "cleaned out" months' worth of work after around 5,000 bottles were taken on Saturday.

Mr Brotherton said he had set up the business in Catterick Garrison with his wife Sarah five years ago after leaving the Army.

The theft had left him feeling "absolutely gutted", he said.

"I feel sick to the pit of my stomach. They've literally cleaned it out. This is our money, our hard work."

Mr Brotherton said two "suspicious vehicles" were spotted outside the distillery on Saturday and the theft was discovered the following day.

People have been asked by police to be on the lookout for the stolen gin and vodka being sold

He said the robbers had used a chain attached to a lorry to pull open shipping container doors where the alcohol was stored.

"It's six months' worth of stock, in practical terms. We've got to find the time and money to replace it all," he said.

North Yorkshire Police has asked for anybody who saw anything suspicious over the weekend to get in touch.

The force also asked people to be on the lookout for any of the products being sold "in an unusual location or circumstances which don't seem right".