Trouble down south

[color=violet:523a716685]Doesn't seem to matter which part of the country you live.[/color:523a716685]

[color=darkblue:523a716685][b:523a716685]Vandals target Invercargill cars and homes[/b:523a716685][/color:523a716685]
19 April 2006
By JARED MORGAN

Invercargill residents were left counting the cost of a vandalism spree after rocks were thrown through the windows of cars and buildings in the city early yesterday morning. Senior Sergeant Olaf Jensen, of Invercargill, said police had received reports of multiple broken windows in 30 vehicles, two houses and a shop by yesterday afternoon. However, he expected more calls to come in as people arrived home from the Easter holidays.

Mr Jensen estimated the spree had caused thousands of dollars of damage. Police received the first rush of complaints between 1.15am and 2.15am, he said. "It appears that hour was when the majority of the damage was done." The number of calls stretched police resources, with some of the complaints handled over the telephone, he said. "Where there was forensic evidence we had staff attend."

The damage was concentrated in south Invercargill but properties and cars in Windsor and Richmond were also hit hard, Mr Jansen said. The speed at which the damage was done also led police to believe several offenders were involved, possibly travelling in more than one car. Some cars also suffered panel damage after it appeared offenders ran over the top of vehicles, he said.

Constable Steven Winsloe, of Invercargill, said the rocks used in the attacks were similar to those found on railway lines. Police had received reports of vehicles possibly used by offenders in the attacks and had good descriptions of those cars but otherwise had few leads to go on, he said. Police were keen to hear from anyone who saw the attacks. "It was just indiscriminate vandalism," Mr Winsloe said.

For Paul and Larissa Pearce, the news their Toyota Corona had been targeted came via a phone call from police. "We didn't hear a thing," an angry Mr Pearce said yesterday. Glancing out the window of his house, he and his wife saw the back windscreen of their car was smashed. On closer inspection the couple discovered both the driver's side windows were also smashed and the car's windscreen badly cracked.

Stuart Ledington said he awoke to the sound of breaking glass after two rocks were thrown through his lounge window about 1am. "We heard the bang then footsteps running away ... then they just stopped," he said.