Boys' $450k vandalism spree

Photo / Wairarapa Times-Age

Two Masterton boys embarked on a weekend vandalism spree, ransacking a cemetery and destroying $450,000 worth of property at a recycling depot - but are likely to escape with a telling-off.

The 11-year-olds lit a fire at a recycling depot on Saturday night that destroyed a 30m by 20m shed full of baled cardboard and 200 new recycling bins.

They started the fire after walking through a nearby cemetery, attacking up to 40 headstones.

Masterton fire brigade station officer Mike Cornford said the recycling depot blaze generated a "huge amount of heat" and sent toxic smoke billowing over Masterton, with flames leaping 30m to 40m into the air.

Police said the cost was likely to be more than $300,000.

Young people cannot be charged with any criminal offence until they turn 14 years old.

Mr Cornford said the boys found a lighter in the pocket of a jacket that was in a front-end loader next to the shed. They took the jacket inside the shed and set fire to it in a corner.

The fire quickly spread to the rest of the shed and the front-end loader, thought to be worth $150,000, which was also destroyed. It took 3 hours to bring the fire under control.

Acting Sergeant Tony Matheson, of Masterton, said officers identified the pair through information from the public and they were tracked down by a police dog.

"The two boys have admitted responsibility for the damage. They could not explain the reason for their behaviour."

Mr Matheson said some of the headstones were hit with a blunt instrument, damaging the masonry. At least one was tipped over.

"Flowers, broken glass and crockery were spread about the cemetery."

One of the boys rang the Fire Service to report the blaze.

A Masterton resident told the Herald the two boys were known troublemakers.

They had smashed the window of a neighbours' house before and were seen in the area on Saturday, spraying water through a window of a house.

The boys live near each other in streets between the cemetery and the recycling station.

A resident said of the boys: "As soon as I saw [the fire] reported, I knew straight away it would be those kids ... They will be real trouble when they grow up."

The aunt of one of them said he was a "troubled boy" but she was still shocked that he was behind such a significant amount of damage.

She said he had been in trouble before but did not think it was for anything serious.

He was being brought up by his mother, who struggled as a solo parent.

The family were "trying to keep it reasonably quiet" and the incident was being dealt with by family and police.

The aunt said the boy went to school when he felt like it. She hoped he would learn from the incident.

The boys have been referred to the police youth aid section and will face a family group conference.

A Masterton police spokesman said that from there, a set of conditions would be imposed on the boys but they were not criminally liable for their actions because of their age.

Mr Cornford said firefighters ran out of water while tackling the blaze and were forced to wait at least 20 minutes until more arrived.

"After a while, it was clear we weren't going to save it so we completely surrounded it. It's not a reticulated area so we had to set up water relay from the river."

The Masterton fire station has not had a water tanker for five years.