Late night black ties call for prince after bombings

Two Blenheim businessmen were woken at 2am last Friday by phone calls from police on the hunt for black ties for Prince William and his entourage following the London bombings.

Kim Andrews, manager of Blenheim department store J E Thomas', said he went in to his store and found as many dark coloured ties as he could find.

"We do stock them but they're not big sellers," Mr Andrews said.

Also roused from his bed was David Buckley, owner of Cloudy Bay Funeral Services. By the time he had found two black ties the police were already knocking on his door.

Mr Andrews said he understood that if they were not returned the Internal Affairs Department would pay for them.

"I would be quite happy to know that the Prince had one of my ties," Mr Buckley said. Prince William and his entourage were overnighting in Kaikoura at the time. They later cancelled a planned whale watching trip.

Senior Sergeant Ciaran Sloan, of Blenheim police, was second in charge of the protection squad in Kaikoura.

He said: "At that stage nothing had been cancelled the following day and it was thought they might need to wear the ties."

The ties were delivered to the prince's party in Kaikoura by 6am on Friday. Some were used and some would be returned.

- nzpa