Glasgow pub robbed as 'bold' thieves smash window with beer keg

A Glasgow pub was broken into after thieves used a beer keg to smash a window.

The Locale on the city’s North Street near Charing Cross was robbed after thieves smashed a back window with a keg during the early hours of Thursday morning.

The pub’s owner, Josh Barr, says they only made off with a few bottles but left the bar area damaged and obscured CCTV cameras.

Two members of the bar’s staff arrived at the bar just after the owner was alerted by his alarm company at 4am.

Police Scotland officers were already on the scene when the two staff members arrived.

They found the thieves had used a keg of IPA to smash the back window and had crawled in through the glass.

Josh told STV News the cost of repairs following the incident will have a detrimental impact on takings for the week.

He explained: “I thought something wasn’t quite right when I got the alarm notification. Normally, it can be set off by someone leaning on the door or chapping the window, but I couldn’t connect to the CCTV.

“Thankfully, two staff members were out on Sauchiehall Street and went to have a look. We were so lucky they were on hand.

“They had put the keg right through the window, which is a bit of a feat. They jumped in through pretty thick glass and could’ve easily cut themselves. It was bold.”

He said: “The team have been all pitching in today to get the bar open, which has taken me from very stressed to very blessed.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 4.10am on Thursday, August 13 2026, we received a report of a theft by housebreaking from a premises on North Street, Glasgow.

“Enquiries into the incident remain ongoing.”