Four to face trial over Thwaites Brewery damage in Blackburn
It happened after travellers moved on to the site.
Last updated 30th Jul 2018
Three men and a teenage boy are to face trial after large-scale damage was caused to a historic brewery in Blackburn when travellers moved on to the site.
Thomas Ward, 43, pleaded not guilty to charges of blackmail, burglary and criminal damage when he appeared via video-link at Preston Crown Court on Monday.
Ward, of Aspull Common in Leigh, Greater Manchester, is alleged to have demanded £20,000 from staff at Thwaites Brewery after travellers set up camp there on 26th May, with the promise that the group would leave within an hour if the money was paid.
More than £200,000 of damage is estimated to have been caused to the brewery when a group of around 100 members of the travelling community set up camp over the bank holiday weekend.
Patrick Ward, 32, John Ward, 33, and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in the dock and denied charges of burglary and criminal damage.
John Ward also denied a charge of theft from a Morrisons supermarket.
The four will stand trial on November 19.
Production at Thwaites had to stop following the damage, after 211 years of brewing on the site, although it is due to move to new premises in the coming weeks.
Thomas Ward was remanded in custody ahead of the trial while the other three defendants were granted conditional bail