Man, 63, arrested after Neal’s Yard cheese heist

A 63-year-old man has been arrested after 22 tonnes of cheddar, worth more than £300,000, were stolen from London cheese specialist Neal’s Yard Dairy.

The Southwark based manufacturer reported the theft to police on October 21.

The man was taken to a South London police station where he was questioned.

He has been bailed pending further inquiries which are ongoing, the Met said.

Neal’s Yard was caught up in the scam after delivering 950 wheels of farmhouse cheddar to an alleged fraudster posing as a wholesale distributor for a major French retailer. 

The cheese was boxed up and sent off from the company’s maturing rooms under the brick railway arches of Bermondsey. But, after the payment date passed, all communication suddenly stopped. 

Neal’s Yard said it had still paid the producers of the cheese so the individual dairies would not have to bear the costs.

In the aftermath of the theft, staff said the company has received messages of solidarity, offers of help and orders from new customers.

Pictured top: Neal’s Yard Dairy sells British and Irish Farmhouse Cheese in its London shops, wholesale all over the UK and export across the world (Picture: Neals Yard Dairy)