Dreghorn brewery boss wants to quit proposed sake brewery site after repeated theft and vandalsim

Arran Brewery chief Gerald Michaluk has confirmed the company are making plans to leave the site following £5,000 of damage being caused with the latest break-in last Sunday, June 19.

The news is a huge blow for Dreghorn with the prospect of losing out on major investment and the creation of 30 jobs.

It was only last month that Mr Michaluk warned any further vandalism would be the “final straw” after a forklift was damaged between May 4-5.

The site, based at the former Dreghorn Primary School, has been repeatedly targeted by vandals since the investment plan was revealed in 2014.

This time, mindless thugs kicked and smashed doors, damaging an autoclave used to sterlise equipment and stole boxes full of distinctive pint glasses.

Mr Michaluk, the company’s Managing Director, said the latest damage was “heartbreaking”.

He said: “These are thug like attacks, using chisels and screwdrivers and smashing or kicking in doors with no apparent fear of being observed by our CCTV cameras. 

“The damage caused and item stolen is heartbreaking. I can only assume these idiots mistook the autoclave for a safe and tried to break into it, morons!

“They stole some very distinctive glasses and I hope the public can help us trace them via the glasses and see them put in jail where they belong. 

Mr Michaluk added: “The glasses were in distinctive red boxes and were branded HB Munich, they were the German Stine glasses market to two pints and pint glasses.

“If you know if anyone trying to sell these glasses or having them in their possession recently then please contact the police.”

 As a result, plans to install a £150,000 sake bottling plant have been dropped and Arran Brewery will now re-assign the equipment to a more secure site.

Arran Brewery’s initial proposals to attract 30,000 visitors to the site with a beer hall and a brewing school, 

But Mr Michaluk says he and the company will now walk away from the project because of the repeated vandalism.

Speaking exclusively to the Times, he said: “We simply can’t put in £150,000 bottling equipment if we can’t make sure it’s secure.

“We’re now going to move the bottling site and we’re now looking to dispose of the site and find somewhere else.

“It’s perfect for a visitor centre but we can’t keep it like an armed camp with barbed wire around it.

“We’re having a board meeting to discuss it but it’s pretty likely we’ll be leaving altogether.”

He added: “The majority of people have been great in the area, from the council, from the community council, we’ve had great support.

“But we really need to make the site secure so we’ll be looking to find somewhere else.

“It’s quite likely we’ll leave altogether, we’re behind on our plans on that area.”

Police say no arrests have been made in connection with the latest vandalism.