A BREWERY worker's blunder has spelled good news for beer drinkers after customers were sent their alcohol for free.

For the last six months people entering orders on the Arran Brewery website and been getting their orders delivered whether or not they completed the order or indeed even paid for the order.

An over zealous member of staff trying to get ahead of the electronic orders coming in was dispatching goods to everyone who had entered details on their website, regardless of whether they were paid for.

It has seen beer sent to fraudulent card holders, people who cancelled or did not complete their order and of course to genuine customers.

Managing director Gerald Michaluk said “This is a well intentioned employee who thought he was doing the best for the customers and the company by getting stock out quickly.

"It was not until an audit showed a short fall in receipts that the mistake was realised. We will now be writing to all those who have received stock in error with a request that they pay for the goods, or allow us to collect them. "This was a very serious breach in our protocol and we will be tightening up on training, and system documentation so that this cannot happen again”.

Mr Michaluk would not be drawn on the extent of the issue or the sums involved. He said: “This is not showing our best side on the other hand there will be a lot of extra happy customers our there”.