Thousands of bottles of pink champagne and red wine were taken in a raid on a vineyard.

The 3,000 bottles, valued at £32,000, were bound for Christmas parties, including the Science Museum in London.

Police are urging anyone who is offered bulk supplies of wine or who knows where it is being stored to contact them.

The raid took place at Nutbourne Vineyards in Gay Street, West Chiltington, near Storrington, some time between Monday and Wednesday last week.

Burglars broke in through the front gate and cherry-picked the wines of their choice.

They took 20 cases containing 240 bottles of Lagashe Rose champagne, a brand imported into the UK only by the Sussex vineyard.

Another 110 cases of Lagashe Brut champagne were taken as well as 77 cases of Chateau St Bonnet, 60 of Chateau La Barronne and 40 of Chateau D’Avigny.

PC Lara Simpson said: “A large amount of wine and champagne has been stolen, which would have taken some time to load on to a vehicle or vehicles.”

Quintin Wareham, spokesman for the firm, said the vineyard’s sister company Party Ingredients was planning to use the wine and champagne for Christmas events in London.

He said: “It is our Christmas business.

It has given us a big knock to say the least.”

Inspector Paul Williams said: “If anybody is offered anything for sale in this sort of quantity, clearly it is going to be out of the ordinary and we urge them to get in touch.”