Rotorua motorcycle business raided for ‘fifth time in two years’

Damage to the front of Patterson O’Connor Motorcycles on White St.

A Rotorua motorcycle business has been ram-raided this morning for the fifth time in two years – and an owner says they are “over it.”

Bryan Patterson, co-director of Patterson O’Connor Motorcycles, said it was getting to the stage where it was not sustainable to run a business that kept being burgled and smashed.

“We’re spending more and more money to try and secure everything, but it just keeps happening,” Patterson said.

“This is our fifth time in two years, we’re over it, to be honest,” Patterson said.

Two bikes worth $20,000 were stolen when the store was ram-raided at about 1.30am.

“They totally wrote off the whole front of the building with all the glass, that’s just ripped to bits.”

Patterson said 15 bikes were knocked over and damaged in the showroom.

He said it would take some time to work out how much the damage would cost as they would need to assess each damaged bike.

“It’s an absolute shambles. I don’t know what the cost is but it’ll be huge,” said Patterson.

“You start thinking, is it worth carrying on a business with this happening all the time?”

The business was one of three Rotorua motorbike stockists hit in a series of break-ins in August. Police said at the time there had been an increase in bike store burglaries and anti-social riding around the city and they believed organised criminal gangs were responsible.

Patterson O’Connor Motorcycles on White St in August. Photo / Kelly Makiha

The store was open today and Patterson said customers had been stopping by and coming in to help with the clean-up.

He said it was going to be a long day on “no sleep”.

Police were called to a White St business in Fenton Park around 1.30am after a vehicle was used to gain entry, a spokesman said.

The vehicle used in the burglary was later found at a park off Devon St.

“A vehicle and scene examination will be completed,” the spokesman said.

Police urged anyone with information that could help to call 105 and use reference number 241023/6412.

Information could also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.