KEY POINTS:
Security is being reviewed at a police station in Porirua, north of Wellington after a police car was destroyed and another damaged in a suspicious fire last night.
The fire was at the Waitangirua Community Policing Centre not long before midnight, Detective Sergeant Brent Clark of Waitangirua CIB said.
An unmarked Holden Commodore used by CIB was burnt out while heat melted the door handles and scorched paint and panels of an education programme vehicle parked nearby.
The man who raised the alarm saw four youths in their mid to late teens, three wearing caps and one a beanie, climb the policing centre's gates and run towards Maraeroa Marae and Warspite Avenue minutes before the fire started.
"He heard three loud bangs and when he walked back with a friend a few minutes later smoke was pouring from the yard."
He then called the fire service.
"We're lucky the man called when he did," Mr Clark said. "It's bad enough to lose one vehicle and have a second damaged, but his prompt call stopped the fire from spreading to four other cars parked in the yard."
Mr Clark said police and ESR forensic scientists were today trying to determine the cause of the blaze.
"We don't know at this stage if fireworks or an accelerant was used," he said.
"Flames had engulfed the vehicle when the fire service arrived and it was lucky the LPG tank didn't explode.
"We don't know what's motivated the attack, but we're sure those responsible will be skiting about it."
Police would be reviewing security options at the centre, which although alarmed is not a 24-hour station.
- NZPA
