A LEDBURY drinks firm has taken delivery of two massive storage tanks from Germany.

Trams were cancelled in Dortmund and power lines were disconnected in Gloucestershire to get the 50-ton vats to Universal Beverages (UBL).

The firm bought the tanks, each capable of holding 1.4 million pints, from the DAB Brewery in Germany.

Their journey from the Ruhr to Herefordshire started three months ago and finished in Little Marcle Road.

Overhead tram cables were disconnected to allow a lorry carrying the tanks to reach a barge on the Rhine.

The journey from Sheerness, Kent, to Ledbury took around 40 hours and required a police escort. A trailer, 23 feet wide, held the tanks, while telephone and power lines were disconnected in Gloucestershire before arriving at UBL.

Chris Newall, UBL operations manager, said the last 200 yards were the most problematic, and apologised for any delays.

“The trickiest part was getting the lorry into Little Marcle Road, because there’s a lot of overhead wires,” said Mr Newall.

The tanks have been installed and will be used for cider and fruit juice production.