£70,000 Cadbury eggs lorry stolen

Thieves tricked the driver, who had stopped near Lichfield en route from the Birmingham factory to Yorkshire, saying the van was shedding its load.

When he got out of his cab to investigate, the men jumped in and made off with the eggs on Monday.

But they may end up eating the snacks themselves, as a Cadbury spokesman said the eggs would be hard to sell.

"The criminal fraternity are pretty thick, it's not likely that a reputable retailer will buy them and it's likely that they will turn up at car boot sales in the area," he added.

'New delivery'

"The amount stolen is a minor quantity on the grand scale of things as we make between 30 and 40 million eggs in our Bournville plant each Easter.

"The retailer we were sending them to will get a new delivery very soon."

The lorry had stopped in a lay-by on the A38 after leaving the Bournville factory when the theft happened.

Police believe three thieves were involved. The rest of the gang made off in a grey Subaru Impreza.

One of the suspects is described as white, aged between 25 and 30, about 5ft 10in tall and with short hair.

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