Coopers Beach G.A.S ready to repel robbers

Simon Allan about to demonstrate the fog machine at GAS Cooper's Beach.

A word of advice for anyone who might be thinking of helping themselves at g.a.s.Cooper's Beach — don't.

Owners Sandra and Simon Allan and their staff are well prepared to repel intruders.

The service station, on SH10, has become the proud owner of a 'fog' machine, which within seconds fills the entire shop with glycol vapour, giving staff time to bolt to a safe room at the rear and lock themselves in. While they're doing that, the alarm system will be contacting the police.

Simon Allan demonstrates the effectiveness of the fog machine at GAS Cooper's Beach.

Mr Allan said the machine had become available after only 70-odd businesses, dairies, service stations and the like that had been identified by the police as at high risk of burglary/robbery showed interest in installing them.

That opened the way for others, and when he was offered one he didn't hesitate, although he didn't believe his business was especially vulnerable.

His staff were grateful all the same.

They're looking after us," said Leanne Kelly, who has been there for two years.

The drill was that at the first sign of trouble the fog machine would be activated, any staff in the shop then changing their position before heading for the back room.

It all went according to plan when Mr Allan demonstrated the machine on Friday, although the extremely piercing alarm took some turning off.

He was last seen flapping a clipboard to help restore everyone's 20/20 vision.

And if the fog, which is odourless and harmless, didn't deter would-be robbers, Mr Allan said, the cameras that he had mounted outside the service station should.

They provided a well-defined record of everything that moved, out to and including the highway, in both directions, an investment that he described as a public service.