Thieves make off with Pentiums in £6m Heathrow haul

Thieves have stolen around £6m of Intel chips from a van parked near London Heathrow in the latest in a string of similar incidents at the UK airport, which has become a popular-target for criminals in recent years.

The robbery took place on Sunday morning, when it is thought the vehicle was left unattended for a short time.

Intel has confirmed it is helping local police with their enquiries, though the computing giant is still trying to work out the exact details of the consignment.

The van contained thousands of Pentium III chips, believed to have been shipped to the UK from Miami. Most were transferred by thieves to a second van, a white Renault, which was driven to the nearby town of Feltham, where it was later found.

According to Reuters, police are now checking CCTV footage. The original driver of the van has been questioned, but nobody has yet been arrested.

Although the theft took place in the shadow of Europe's busiest airport, authorities have been quick to point out it does not constitute a security breach. However, recent crimes involving the stealing of chips, mobile phones and other high-tech equipment have embarrassed local authorities.