Yorkshire chicken and cheese thief stole nearly £50,000 worth of food

Timothy Noel Green, of Springwell Crescent in Beighton, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft before being sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court today.

The 46-year-old stole fish worth around £13,000 from a lorry he was driving in September 2013 as well as £5,700 worth of chicken drumsticks in October 2013 and nearly £29,000 worth of cheese in November 2013.

Green took the items while driving them to and from businesses and ports.

Detective Constable Thomas Ryan, from South Yorkshire Police, said: “This has been a three-year investigation into substantial thefts of goods from a number of locations and businesses across the country.

“Theft is not a victimless crime and Green stole significant quantities of popular items, which could have had a devastating impact on the businesses that were expecting these shipments.

“We have worked tirelessly over three years to bring this case before the courts and I hope this demonstrates that we will doggedly pursue those who break the law.”