Bakers Basco has secured a £25,000 settlement relating to continued misuse of bakery equipment by a West Midlands logistics business.
The membership scheme had originally obtained a court order in 2021 against Dudley Pallet Ltd, designed to prevent further possession or processing of its Omega baskets at the company’s industrial site in Smethwick.
Months of work was undertaken by Bakers Basco’s dedicated investigations team from August 2025 onwards, including use of GPS tracking technology, surveillance, and site visits. Tracking data showed bakery equipment repeatedly being removed from retailers including Iceland, The Food Warehouse, and Farmfoods and transported to the Anne Road premises before transmissions ceased, implying they had been destroyed.
A site visit supported by police helped recover evidence of dismantled equipment and plastic chippings consistent with Omega baskets, thus prompting the latest legal proceedings.
Bakers Basco operates a pool of over five million baskets and 500,000 dollies for 25 UK bakery licensees including Warburtons, Hovis, Fine Lady Bakeries, Allied Bakeries, and Frank Roberts & Sons. Last year, it increased deployment of GPS tracking devices by 42% in the Midlands, with investigations continuing to show the region as having the highest level of unauthorised activity involving its bakery equipment.
It was previously awarded £47k in legal costs and expenses after uncovering a criminal plastic chipping operation in West Bromwich, and has since brought successful claim against firms in Cambridge and Edinburgh.
Stacey Brown, national investigations manager at Bakers Basco, noted how the latest case in Smethwick demonstrates why the scheme continues to invest heavily in intelligence-led investigations and GPS tracking technology. “We believe the evidence we gathered showed that our equipment continued to be unlawfully taken, transported and destroyed despite previous legal action,” she said.
“Our members, including Hovis Bakeries and Warburtons, invest millions of pounds in reusable bakery equipment that keeps the UK’s bread supply chain moving efficiently. When that equipment is removed from the supply chain, everyone ultimately pays the price. The £25,000 settlement demonstrates that we are prepared to pursue these matters through the courts where necessary to protect our members’ assets,” Brown added.
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