Thieves take off in test-drive van

A young German couple trying to sell their van had it stolen from an Auckland car fair yesterday.

The travellers were selling their Toyota Hiace van at the Ellerslie Car Fair and did not think to ask two men who took it for a test drive for identification, police said.

After waiting for about half an hour, they realised the men were not coming back and contacted the police.

The woman was reportedly very distressed, and dismayed that this could have happened.

Senior Sergeant Hirone Waretini, of Mt Wellington Police, said people needed to exercise caution when selling their vehicles.

"Anybody who is prepared to sell their car at car fairs needs to be a little bit security conscious when letting someone go for a test drive: either go with them or get the person's driver's licence so you can confirm their identity."

This was the first time Mr Waretini had heard of such thefts happening at the car fair.

The men were both Caucasians, aged about 25, of medium build, wearing T-shirts and pants and one was wearing a dark-coloured cap.

The van was a silver Toyota Hiace, licence plate number XA3953.

Police asked anyone with information to contact them.

Meanwhile, a man who had crashed his car into a tree in the Hawke's Bay thanked the couple who stopped to help him by stealing their car.

The couple, both 63, were driving along State Highway 2, 15km south of Wairoa, yesterday when they stopped to help a man whose car had gone over a bank and crashed into a tree, Senior Sergeant Tony Bates said.

The couple provided the driver with footwear to walk up the bank and then offered him their cell phone to call for help.

As they were helping him, he allegedly got into their car and drove off, Mr Bates said.

The driver and the stolen car was found this morning in Wanganui.

Police said they were also investigating further incidents the man may have been involved in during his journey to Wanganui.

A man was to appear in Wanganui District Court today.

- NZPA