Police recover a stolen van with 2,500 pies after a chef's appeal, but they are too damaged to eat

LONDON (AP) — A British chef's appeal for thieves to return 2,500 pies that were in a stolen van ended in disappointment Tuesday when police found the vehicle abandoned, with its savory cargo too damaged to eat.

Tommy Banks, who owns two Michelin-starred restaurants and a pub in the northern English county of Yorkshire, said a member of staff discovered the van was missing, along with its cargo of steak and ale, turkey and butternut squash pies intended for a Christmas market in the city of York. The food has been valued at 25,000 pounds ($32,000).

Banks said the van was insured, but he implor...