Two arrested after car-yard owner's detective work

Police have made two arrests related to a controversial Palmerston North car-yard burglary last year where bacon bones were allegedly used to distract a guard dog.

Last July, eight cars at Tremaine Auto Sales were broken into and a set of chrome mags stolen in a haul worth over $5000.

The yard's owner, Bradley Tunnell, who alleged that his guard dog was poisoned, launched a personal investigation after finding a discarded bacon bone box. He tracked the box to a supermarket and got camera footage of those who bought it, but criticised police after giving them information because he said they did not act fast enough. On Tuesday police charged two Foxton men aged 17 and 20 with burglary.

Palmerston North detective Chris Allemann yesterday said Mr Tunnell had done some good investigative work on behalf of the police and admitted that some of his criticism of the early stages of the investigation was justified.