Burglary of tornado victim disgusts Greymouth mayor

Greymouth Mayor Tony Kokshoorn wants to "hang" the person who burgled a tornado victim on the night the twister struck .

Lorraine Wilson-Perrott suffered serious leg injuries when the tornado tossed her campervan on its side during its 2km rampage through Greymouth last Thursday.

Mr Kokshoorn told NZPA today that while Ms Wilson-Perrott was in hospital getting her injuries seen to, and her husband was being relocated to emergency accommodation, their campervan was burgled as it was sitting outside a panelbeating business.

Among things stolen were an outboard motor, binoculars and a camera.

"It was disgusting, I'm sickened by it.

"Put it this way, there's no horses available in Greymouth today because there's a posse out there after the people, and there's going to be a hanging when we catch them."

He said it was sickening that a "low-life" would take advantage of someone in such poor circumstances.

But he said outside that incident, everybody had been "absolutely brilliant".

"They've all helped out and been more generous than anyone I've ever known."

Mr Kokshoorn said the clean-up had been helped by good weather, and authorities wanted to get as much done ahead of bad weather forecast for next week.

The council will meet Housing New Zealand and Work and Income tomorrow to talk about immediate accommodation for people displaced by the tornado.

"Tomorrow we'll form the Mayoral Relief Fund Committee and I'll put a member of Housing New Zealand on that with Work and Income and some of our councillors and we will start looking after those people who need our immediate help."

But Mr Kokshoorn said they were being hindered by the lack of free housing in the area.

"We're spending the day locating houses that are available, because there's a shortage of rental accommodation here, as there is in most places, so that's our immediate problem."

Mr Kokshoorn said the Government would hold a special cabinet meeting tomorrow, where Greymouth will be discussed.

"And outside the hanging that's going to be in Greymouth when we catch that thief, they'll be discussing further aid for us," he said.

- NZPA