THE Nevill Arms in Astwood Bank was broken into on the early hours of Monday 4 October.
Andy Heeley, who has owned the pub for 11 years, said the only thing the thieves took was used cooking oil that was left at the back of the building.
“It was the cooking oil that we use in the fryers, it only lasts so long so we dispose of it outside in containers.
“At 3:20 Monday morning, two blokes in a van drove up the back of the pub, climbed over the gates and then let themselves in.
“Ten minutes and they were gone, it looked like a professional job.”
Bar staff reported that last Wednesday a man entered the pub claiming to be from an oil company, but the staff didn’t recognise him so sent him away.
“We reported it to the police,” Andy said.
“We took photographs of the van as they were driving off.”
Although Andy lives above the pub, he didn’t hear anything, and only realised the oil had been taken because the thieves had filled his bins with their own empty oil containers.
“I thought they’d leave them dumped in the car park, but my bins were full.
“That’s when I looked back on the CCTV camera and saw them entering into the yard.”
He said they are more than likely using the oil for fuel.
“I’ve heard of this sort of thing happening before to other pubs, but never experienced it myself.
“That’s why I put it out there to let other publicans know.”
