Gardaí arrested 27 people — and recovered 1,000 stolen beer kegs — as part of a Europe-wide crackdown on the lucrative trade in stolen metal.

It’s no barrel of laughs — the growing problem of stolen beer kegs is estimated to have cost the drinks industry €40m since 2007.

Gardaí have joined with industry and farming bodies to crack down on the lucrative metal theft trade.

Demand for barley in the domestic market will be reduced by the recent 22% excise rates imposed on beer, an Irish Brewers’ Association impact analysis study reveals.

BREWER Beamish & Crawford put pressure on rivals yesterday by announcing a price freeze for the remainder of the year.