Balaclava clue in fire death case

Police investigating the fiery death of a farm worker in his home near Taupo are now asking for information on a mysteriously intact balaclava and pair of socks found in the burnt-out wreck of his car.

While police have yet to confirm it was Stephen George who was found in the ruins of his Tirohanga home on Sunday over a week ago, Mr George has not been seen since the fire.

His 1993 Nissan Primera car was found on Thursday near Mangakino, about 100km from his home.

Detective Sergeant Dave Beattie said today some items had been recovered from the car.

"We would like to speak to the owner of a blue balaclava and black pair of socks that have been seized from Stephen's burnt-out Nissan Primera.

"These items appear to have been placed in the car after the vehicle was set alight, as there is no fire damage to these items at all.

"We would like to know how they got there and who the items belong to."

Mr Beattie also reiterated an earlier plea for people to come forward if they knew of any associates of 33-year-old Mr George who could be from a "criminal environment".

He also wanted to hear from people who had any fears for his safety before the house fire.

"Information received can be dealt with on a confidential basis but the inquiry team need to know about these concerns because it may start to piece together a line of inquiry with a particular group or individuals.

Mr Beattie again said anybody who had information but did not want to come forward should "think long and hard about that decision.

"Stephen is missing and a body has been recovered from his address. This is a homicide inquiry and we need to hear from these people".

Although Mr George lived alone at the Tirohanga house he was married. His wife and children lived in Te Awamutu to be nearer to schools.

Dental records have not been able to identify the badly burned body found in the Tirohanga home and DNA test results could still be two weeks away.

The police numbers for people with information are 0800 STAR09 (0800 782 709) or 07 378 9111.

- NZPA