Microsoft sees double over Windows 98 theft

Microsoft has suffered an embarrassing second robbery at its Scottish software plant in East Kilbride. Windows 98 certificates worth £5.5m were taken. The thieves broke in through a fire exit, loaded up a van with the certificates and drove off.

The same plant was broken into in November 1997 when £12m of CDs and certificates were taken.

David Gregory, anti-piracy manager for Microsoft, said: "The goods were delivered to an annex of the building that day, they stole certificates of authentication which are built into the covers of the manuals."

He confirmed that the van used in the robbery was later dumped in the same place as the van from last year's theft. Gregory said the police are continuing to investigate, but there is no definite link between the two robberies.

Gregory warned the public: "If the price looks too good to be true - it probably isn't true."

Microsoft is offering a substantial reward for information leading to the capture of the criminals. Anyone offered Windows 98 with numbers between 353 888 000 and 353 977 999 or between 714 571 000 and 714 595 999 should contact Fred Matthews at Microsoft on 0870 60 10 100.