CROOKS stole £20,000 of rare champagne when they raided a warehouse.

Thieves got into the storage facility of Worsley Wines, in Maple Avenue, Leigh, at around 8pm on Saturday, December 3, using what is thought to be a stolen key fob.

Once inside, they took thousands of pounds of booze including Josephine Baker champagne.

PC Jennifer Payne, the investigating officer, said: "The champagne, named after a jazz singer, is extremely rare and Worsley Wines are the only UK stockholder. They had not yet sold any of it, so any bottles found in the UK at the moment must be from this burglary.”

The bottles are very distinctive and come in a navy blue presentation box with gold embossed detail.

Anyone who comes across these items for sale, or who witnessed any unusual activity near the site of the burglary on Saturday night, is urged to call Pc Payne at Leigh police station on 101.