Travellers who went on a wrecking spree at a historic brewery tried to blackmail bosses by saying they would leave within the hour if the company handed over £20,000, a court heard yesterday.
Two centuries of beer production was halted at Thwaites Brewery, in Blackburn, Lancashire, after the gang allegedly broke in an caused almost £250,000 of damage.
Copper wires were stripped out of the site, along with computers and other electrical goods, magistrates in Blackburn were told.
Blackmail charge: Thomas Ward, 43, of Aspull, near Wigan, is also known as ‘Big John’
John Ward 33 (left) is charged with burglary and Patrick Ward, 32, is charged with criminal damage
The brewery was also flooded when a cooler was overturned and 1,700 pints of beer had to be poured away because of fears of contamination. As a consequence, brewing has now ended at the site.
Yesterday three men and a boy of 16 – described as belonging to the travelling community – appeared in court charged with burglary and criminal damage in connection with the alleged three-day break-in over the last Bank Holiday weekend.
The court was told that Thomas Ward, 43, of Aspull, near Wigan, who is known as ‘Big John,’ is also charged with blackmail.
Described as the ringleader of the group, he allegedly told Richard Bailey, chief executive of Thwaites, that he could get the travellers to leave within the hour if he paid him £20,000.
Beer production was halted at Thwaites Brewery, in Blackburn, Lancashire, after the gang allegedly broke in an caused almost £250,000 of damage
Earlier this month Thwaites confirmed it was unable to continue its 211 years of brewing beer at the Penny Street site because of the damages
He was remanded in custody to appear before Preston Crown Court on July 30.
John Ward, 33, of Aspull, and Patrick Ward, 32, of Ince, Wigan, were granted bail on condition a surety of £2,000 was paid. They will appear alongside the 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and was also granted bail on the same date.
Enza Geldard, prosecuting, said that a terrified security guard called police at around 8pm on Saturday May 26 after witnessing a large group of travellers cut through the gate to the brewery.
A Thwaites spokeswoman Sam Thomas thanked the police and support from local MPs
‘The security officer was locked in the gate house and was scared for his life,’ Miss Geldard said. Initially 14 caravans rolled on to the site, but there were 21 vehicles at the brewery at the incident’s peak, the court heard.
Eventually, police removed the travellers but when staff returned they found a ‘scene of devastation,’ Miss Geldard said. The defendants were arrested at an illegal traveller encampment in Leverhulme Park, Bolton – 12 miles away – on Monday.
Two other members of the travelling community arrested at the same time have been released pending further inquiries.
Thwaites is preparing for a move to a new £12million complex four miles away but was forced to close the brewery earlier than planned as a result of the break-in. The firm insisted none of its pubs would run dry in the meantime.
Yesterday the Daily Mail reported that police chiefs had rejected calls for a change in the law to give them tougher powers to target travellers who camp illegally.
The trial continues.
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