AN UNINSURED lorry carrying 26 pallets of wine was stopped and seized by the police on the A2 in Bexley.

The Irish registered HGV was stopped also because it had a broken brake lights and enquiries with HMRC revealed that no duty had been paid on the wine and so the HGV, trailer and its full load of wine was seized and impounded.

An average pallet of wine contains about 840 bottles and if each bottle was worth around £6 it would have been worth approximately £366,000, according to a spokesman from Village Wines in Bexley village.

The driver of the HGV was released without charge and enquiries are ongoing with the company by HMRC after the incident at 8.30am on Tuesday.

Chief Inspector Andy Johnstone from the MPS Traffic Unit said: "The South East Traffic Unit stop commercial vehicles and lorries that are coming into the capital every day, to ensure that traffic laws are complied with, to check on the condition and safety of the vehicle and to ensure drivers are not exceeding their hours and posing a risk to other road users.

"We also work closely with the HMRC to identify goods being brought into the UK illegally."