Masked robbers raid cellar at luxury hotel stealing stash of wine

A stash of sentimental bottles of wine were stolen by masked robbers during a raid at a luxury hotel.

The pair of thugs stormed the wine cellar at the Hillbark Hotel in Royden Park, Wirral, during the early hours of Sunday morning and made off with a large quantity of historic wine and champagne.

According to the hotel, the stolen bottles are of high sentimental value and include three bottles which were produced and hidden in France during the German occupation of France in WW2.

In a post on its Facebook page, the hotel said some of the bottles of wine are “unsuitable for consumption” but “form part of Hillbark’s heritage.”

The hotel is offering a reward of over £2000 to anyone who can help to retrieve the bottles.

Merseyside Police received reports on Sunday that two unknown offenders with their faces covered, forced entry into the hotel, before making off with a large quantity of alcohol.

Damage was also caused to a car during the incident which was parked at the hotel.

Officers are currently investigating the incident which Detective Inspector, Laura Lamping, said is “unacceptable and can cause great distress to the victims.”

Amanda Jane Arends, General Manager at Hillbark Hotel & Spa, said: “From a sentimental and historical point of view, we are absolutely devastated to have lost such a huge part of Hillbark Heritage, a number of these bottles are part of our history above anything else.

“For example the Perrier Jouet & Co 1942. Bottles that were produced and hidden in France during German occupation of WW2 and distributed in England after the war had ended, with collars stating “reserved for England” – a collection of bottles started over 30 years ago which is of sentimental value only to us.

“We would be hugely grateful to anyone who can help us retrieve the bottles back to where they belong with a reward worth over £2000.”

In a post on their social media site, the hotel posted a list of the sentimental wines which they are urging people to return to them.

* BOLLINGER, “RD”, AY (MAGNUM) 1988
* PERRIER JOUET & CO, “RESERVE CUVÉE”, ÉPERNAY 1942
* LOUIS ROEDERER, “CRISTAL”, REIMS 1985
* LOUIS ROEDERER, “CRISTAL”, REIMS 1995
* MOET ET CHANDON, “CUVÉE DOM PÉRIGNON”, ÉPERNAY 1971
* MOET ET CHANDON, “CUVÉE DOM PÉRIGNON”, ÉPERNAY 1982
* MOET ET CHANDON, “CUVÉE DOM PÉRIGNON”, ENOTHEQUE, ÉPERNAY 1993

* MOET ET CHANDON, “CUVÉE DOM PÉRIGNON”, ÉPERNAY 1996
* MOET ET CHANDON, “CUVÉE DOM PÉRIGNON”, ÉPERNAY 2008
* KRUG, ”CLOS DE MESNIL”, BLANC DE BLANCS, REIMS 1988
* KRUG, “CLOS DE MESNIL”, BLANC DE BLANCS, REIMS 1990

* TAITTINGER, “COMTES DE CHAMPAGNE-BRUT ROSÉ”, REIMS 1996
* MOËT ET CHANDON, “CUVÉE DOM PÉRIGNON”, ROSÉ, ÉPERNAY 1993
* LOUIS ROEDERER, “CRISTAL ROSÉ”, REIMS 1995
* CIRSION – tempranillo 2005
* CIRSION – tempranillo 2001
* HENSCHKE, HILL OF GRACE – shiraz 2005
* PENFOLDS, “GRANGE”, BIN 95 – shiraz 1989

Posting on their Facebook page, the hotel said it is the first time in 19 years that they have been broken into.

Detective Inspector, Laura Lamping, of Merseyside Police, said: “An investigation is underway following a burglary in the early hours of Sunday morning and I would ask anyone who may have information to please let us know.

“If you saw or heard any suspicious behaviour in the area, a vehicle leaving the scene in the early hours, have any CCTV or dashcam footage or have heard anything since the incident, please get in touch.

“To target a business in this way is unacceptable and we know it can cause great distress to the victims. We are determined to find those responsible and put them before the courts, so if you have any information at all, please contact us.”

If you have any information on the burglary, please contact @MerPolCC, 101 quoting ref. or @CrimestoppersUK, anonymously on 0800 555 111.wirr