Three youths arrested after dairy ram raid in Takapuna, Auckland

Ram-raiders smashed up the shopfront of Hurstmere Rd Superette in Takapuna overnight.

Three youths have been arrested after a dairy on Auckland’s North Shore was smashed up in a ram raid overnight.

Takapuna’s Hurstmere Rd superette had its front smashed in, with cigarettes, vapes and the till taken, the Herald understands.

Photos show the cigarette shelves have been ransacked, while a white sedan sits in front of the shop with its front crumpled after being used in the raid.

The cigarette shelves at Hurstmere Superette have been emptied.

Police said they were called at 11.05pm and found a stolen vehicle had been used to force entry into the shop.

Police arrived quickly but the offenders had left in another stolen vehicle. At 11.44pm, police signalled a stolen vehicle to stop just before entering Southern Motorway near Newmarket.

The vehicle sped off and police decided not to chase it - instead tracking it to where it left the motorway at Tecoma St. They soon found the vehicle and three people hiding nearby, taking them into custody.

The trio admitted being involved in the Takapuna burglary, police said. All three will face burglary and theft charges in the North Shore Youth Court this month.

Police records show there were almost 400 ram raids in the first half of this year - an average of more than two a day.

Last year police recorded 516 ram raids around the country.

A white sedan was left at the scene of the ram raid.