'You drive, I'll work pedals' - boys, 12, steal fuel truck

Two 12-year-old boys were caught driving off with a ute carrying a diesel tank. File photo / Martin Sykes

Two 12-year-old boys were caught driving off with a ute carrying a diesel tank from a major Whangarei roadworks.

The two Otangarei mates told police one of them steered the truck while the other operated the pedals when they were stopped in Walker Cres about 3.30pm on Sunday.

Sergeant John Larkin, of Whangarei police, said a neighbour saw two youths push over a mesh netting fence, then start the truck and drive off.

The vehicle, belonging to United Civil, was parked on a major construction site used for building of the Kamo Bypass Stage II project.

The 12-year-olds allegedly drove along Rupert Clark Rd, a new public road connecting McClintock St to Walker Cres, and were eventually stopped on Walker Cres about 400m away.

The two could face charges of burglary and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle. They have been referred to the Youth Aid section of the Whangarei police.

United Civil managing director Andrew Campbell said the truck was parked behind a 2.5m-high fence that was double-padlocked.

"They just bowled it over. It wouldn't have been easy to do, it's a fixed-leg fence," he said.

"I would have thought 12-year-olds would have better ways to spend their Sunday afternoon."

Mr Campbell said the theft happened just 30 minutes after his staff left for the day.

"It's untypical for them to work Sundays. But they had some special work to do that could only be done on Sunday.

"I guess the culprits must have been watching, keeping an eye on them. They were pretty brazen."

Mr Campbell did not know how the youths started the truck. But he said it was not normal practice to leave the keys in vehicles on the site.

- APN, staff reporter