Arran Brewery is to abandon plans for its new bottling plant and sake brewery in Dreghorn, near Irvine, following a spate of breaks-ins and vandalism at the North Ayrshire site.
The most recent incident, which prompted the decision to relocate operations, comes as more than £5,000 of damage was done to an autoclave, which was to be used for sterilising equipment used in the onsite laboratory. Thieves tried to prise open the machine before making off with a supply of glasses.
Damage had been caused previously to a forklift truck and, despite CCTV monitoring the site 24 hours a day, attempts at gaining entry and damage to windows has been a source of constant concern. There have also been incidents of lead being stolen from the roof, which resulted in water damage inside the building.