THIEVES STRIP 500KG OF GRAPES FROM NORFOLK VINEYARD

Thieves stole an estimated 500kg of grapes from Winbirri Vineyard in Surlingham, Norfolk, according to the vineyard's owner, Lee Dyer. Dyer said the Bacchus grapes were worth about £1,000 as fruit, or roughly £8,000 if turned into wine, and would have produced about 400 bottles. He said the fruit was still on the vine on 20 September, but by 22 September two rows in the field had been "completely stripped bare". Dyer described the vineyard as a family-run business where staff work seven days a week, and said the stolen grapes represented a year's worth of labour. He said growing the crop requires significant effort "no matter what country you're in".

Dyer said he believed more than one person was involved, given the volume of fruit taken. He said grapes had been stolen on a smaller scale in previous years, and that last year a volunteer picker caught men with electric bikes, modified trailers and secateurs in the act. He also said the vineyard had received visits in the run-up to the theft from people asking about buying grapes to make their own wine, though he said this might be coincidental. Norfolk Police were approached for comment, according to the report.

Dyer said he is now considering additional security measures, including motion-activated cameras and SIM card Wi-Fi systems, describing this as an unwanted expense caused by the theft. He said he hoped the publicity surrounding the incident might deter those responsible from repeating it, saying he hoped they would conclude it "probably" would not be "a wise idea" to do so again given the attention it has drawn. No arrests had been confirmed at the time of reporting.