A potential disaster was narrowly avoided at a Hamilton petrol station last night after an agitated man allegedly set fire to a car and assaulted a man.
Hamilton CIB Detective Sergeant Andrew Mortimore said emergency services were called to the service station in Whitiora about 10pm after calls were received concerning a man armed with a knife attacking a petrol bowser.
The man allegedly used the fuel hose's metal nozzle to damage a car parked on the forecourt.
"He has then used fuel from the pump to try and start a fire on the forecourt before setting fire to the interior of another car.''
A potential disaster was averted by quick thinking actions of a staff member at the station who was able to automatically stop the flow of fuel to that pump from behind the locked doors of the service station, Mr Mortimore said.
