Hilton food thieves sentenced

A storeman at the London Hilton linked up with a delivery driver to steal more than £2,000-worth of seafood, a court heard last week.

Storeman Peter Essuman and delivery driver Allan Reid were caught by police minutes after a van-load of salmon and prawns was stolen from the hotel in Park Lane (Caterer, 2 October, page 9).

Essuman, of Ilford in Essex, pleaded guilty at Bow Street Magistrates Court to stealing from the hotel a quantity of frozen food, which also included steaks.

Reid, of Leytonstone, London, pleaded guilty to receiving the stolen food on the same day.

Cesare Ferrari, prosecuting, told the court that Reid was a delivery driver for a separate company who regularly visited the hotel, where Essuman worked as storeman. Essuman stole the food, which was almost entirely salmon and prawns, and the goods were loaded on to a refrigerated van driven by Reid.

Police moved in when the van stopped to switch the load to another vehicle. Both men were arrested and were later sacked by their bosses.

Essuman and Reid were each ordered to perform 100 hours of community service work by magistrate Nicholas Evans, who additionally placed Reid on 12 months' probation.

Reid worked for meat supplier Fairfax Meadow.