Artisan cheesemakers have been dealt a blow by fraudsters who stole more than £300,000 worth of award-winning clothbound cheddar in a sophisticated scam.

Neal's Yard Dairy, a distributor and retailer of British artisan cheese, is working with UK and international law enforcement agencies to try to identify the scam's perpetrators.

The company delivered 22 tonnes of cheddar after being approached by a person posing as wholesale distributor for a big French retailer. [...]

The 950 stolen cheeses were Hafod Welsh organic cheddar, Westcombe cheddar, and Pitchfork cheddar, which have won a number of awards and are among "the most sought-after artisan cheeses in the UK", Neal's Yard Dairy said.

The three cheeses sell for between £7.15 and £12.90 for a small piece weighing 250-300g. Their high monetary value is thought to have made them "a particular target", said the company.

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