Ram raiders on run after destruction

Above, the stolen truck used to ram the Oakleigh service station. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Thieves hit gas station and supermarket before dumping stolen truck

Thieves in a stolen truck left a trail of destruction after trying to ram through the front doors of a service station then breaking into a supermarket within 30 minutes.

Both businesses - Caltex Service Station at Oakleigh and Ruakaka Four Square - were open to customers yesterday morning only hours after thieves caused thousands of dollars worth of damage.

A small flat-deck truck with Whangarei Roofing and Bricks written across the front of the cab was stolen from just south of Whangarei yesterday.

Police investigating the attempted ram raid and forced entry said the thieves first tried to smash through the Oakleigh Caltex service station's front doors at 4.07am, then jimmied a door to get into the Four Square about 4.30am.

Two large metal posts outside the service station's sliding front doors stopped the truck crashing through the frontage.

The driver then rammed either side of the doors, leaving massive cracks.

Owner Brett Price said the loud bang as the truck hit the service station walls was enough to wake his wife in their nearby home early yesterday.

The store alarm sounded and they were called by the security company. Police were then contacted.

"They didn't get in but they've caused about $50,000 damage," Mr Price said.

Owner Brett Price hopes video footage will help police.

It would be a costly exercise to do the repairs, he said. It was likely a false wall would need to be built to keep the premises secure, while work could be done to fix the damaged walls.

The refurbished station had been opened just eight months ago. The Ruakaka Four Square owners were reluctant to talk about the break-in for fear of being struck again.

Scratched paint around the lock on the front door was evidence of where the thieves had managed to force their way in.

Police said the thieves tried to take a cabinet housing tobacco and cigarettes but were unable to move it so opted to cut a padlock on a drawer to snatch some items.

The stolen truck was found in the driveway of a home on Peter Snell Drive in Ruakaka. Police had towed the truck to a secure facility, where it would be forensically examined.

A resident said they were woken by their neighbour yesterday and asked about the truck parked in their shared driveway.

A pouch of tobacco was also discovered in the middle of the road. She said a police dog and handler were called but were unable to find anyone related to the stolen vehicle.

The truck's owner, Richard Macey, said the first he knew his vehicle had been stolen was when he got a call from police at 5.30am to say it had been found in Ruakaka.

"My yard got broken into. They broke the gate padlock, popped the lock on the truck and hot-wired it," he said.

"It was a bit of a shock that our vehicle had been used to do that."

Detective Sergeant Aaron Crawford said police were unsure when the light truck had been taken but was interested to hear from anyone who may have seen it travelling from Whangarei to Oakleigh, then on to Ruakaka.

He said the truck was distinctive in that scaffolding boards were bolted to it on the sides, just above the deck. He was unsure how many people were involved but believed the truck had been used for both incidents.

• Anyone with information should contact Mr Crawford at the Whangarei police station on 09 4304500 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.