Three Tata Steel workers stole £1.2m of tin ingots from Llanelli steelworks

Three Tata Steel workers conspired with an outside man to steal tin ingots worth £1.2m. Thomas Ashford, 35, Richard Jones, 29, and Stewart Jones, 56, were sentenced in Swansea Crown Court alongside outside man Matthew Membury, 32. Here's what you need to know: Almost 49 tons of tin worth some £1,191, 011 were stolen from the Tata steelworks in Trostre, Llanelli, where food, drink, paint and aerosol cans are manufactured The three Tata employees gave outside man Matthew Membury access to the site and helped him load the tin ingots into his van The gang made hundreds of thousands of pounds from their crimes. Police found that between July 2023 and September 2024 a total of £743,826 was paid into Membury’s Lloyds bank account. He kept £339,770 of that total and passed £256,500 to Ashford while Stewart Jones received £85,500 and Richard Jones £62,000. Tata says the thefts had a “significant and damaging” effect on the firm and on the morale of its 600 members of staff across the Llanelli site Thomas William Neil Ashford, aged 35, from Tairgwaith, Brynamman; Richard Jones, aged 29, from Townhill, Swansea; Stewart Jones, aged 56, from Llanelli; and Matthew Membury, aged 32, from Landore, Swansea, all previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal. Ashford was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, Stewart Jones was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, Richard Jones was sentenced to 20 months in prison suspended for two years. Membury will be sentenced at a later date. Subscribers can read full details from the sentencing hearing in Swansea Crown Court here