The team behind Cornish-made Jubel lager have been handing out free bottles of the drink in London in a Robin Hood style stunt.

They were reponding to an article in trade journal The Grocer which said store theft was costing UK grocers £4.4bn a year and a 2% loss of product. It turns out the most nicked item by value is alcohol.

The Jubel team rocked up at Sainsbury’s HQ, tube stations, parks and Sainsbury’s stores across town to hand out thousands of cold ones to shoppers.

They saved the last three for Sainsbury’s chief executive, Mike Coupe, delivering them with a letter saying:”Two per cent of all the beer that we’ve sold to you hasn’t ended up going through your tills, which isn’t legit, so we’ve taken the plunge to give it all back.

” The Jubel team have been tearing around London dishing out thousands of cold ones this week to give 2% of all the beer we’ve sold to you back to your shoppers, and we wanted to give the last three back to you.”

Jubel produces a range of lagers, made at St Austell Brewery, in Cornwall, which are cut with grapefruit, peach and elderflower.