Thieves admit stealing tankers from Ellesmere Port industrial estate

TWO men have admitted stealing three tankers worth more than £300,000 from an Ellesmere Port industrial estate.

Timothy Edwards, 53, of the Marshes, Tarleton, Lancashire, and John Downes, 23, of Moss Lane, Lydiate, Liverpool, were due to appear for trial at Chester Crown Court yesterday but changed their pleas to guilty before it began.

The men were arrested in May last year after three Scania articulated tanker lorries were taken from an industrial unit on North Road, Ellesmere Port.

The vehicles were taken between 6.15pm on Tuesday, May 3, and 1.45am on Wednesday, May 4.

Each was loaded with £45,000 worth of diesel, bound for locations in the UK.

Two of the tankers – which were missing their tractor units – were recovered by police the following morning at Mere Brow in Preston.

Enquiries by officers from Ellesmere Port CID subsequently led to the recovery of the three tractor units and a third tanker in Skelmersdale, Warrington and Widnes.

All the vehicles were returned to their owners.

The men are due to be sentenced at Chester Crown Court during the first week of October.