Raiders target butcher for £4,000 of meat

“The haul included six whole lambs, and an already prepared whole longhorn bullock,” said Bill, whose family has run the business since 1946. “There were also cuts of turkey, pork and topsides.”

The thieves entered the premises in Stafford Street through gardens at the back and loaded up in the street outside the shop. They used bolt cutters to break open the refrigerator.

The meat was for the display at Chillington Food and Country Fair, an annual event in the grounds of the home of the former chief constable of Staffordshire.

“We planned to have our usual two display cabinets of lamb and beef from the Chillington estate, with speciality cuts – guards of honour, crown roast, cushions of lamb and a display of assorted hind-quarter cuts,” said Bill. “We lost £1,000 of sales on the fresh meat side.

“We put up a notice explaining why we were unable to present our usual display. Many asked about it and said that they had come to make purchases because they had bought in previous years.”

Bill added that police believed the raiders had local knowledge and appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.

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