Slippery slopes: Whanganui skatepark targeted with oil

Michael Wilson of Riverland Family Park caught two youths spreading oil across his track on Friday. Photo / Ethan Griffiths

Whanganui's Kowhai Park skate bowl looked more like frying pan than a skate park on Monday, as thick waste oil from the nearby go-kart track was spread across the concrete.

In a social media post, Whanganui District Council said around 20 litres of oil was spread across the bowl overnight on Sunday, with the culprits still on the loose.

On Monday Michael Wilson, owner of neighbouring Riverland Family Park, found his go-kart track covered in oil, the second time in three days it had been targeted.

It began on Friday when Wilson discovered two youths with bottles of oil on the premises.

"On Friday there were these two little kids pouring oil on the track," Wilson said.

"I took a photo of them and they started swearing at me, jumped over the fence, and then I called the cops. They ran away.

"I thought, that's good, they've sh*t themselves and realised not to do it again. Then this morning I come to the track and see that they've done it again."

Kowhai Park skate bowl was still covered in oil on Monday afternoon. Photo / Ethan Griffiths

Wilson said the bottles of oil were left at the side of the race track. It appeared the stack of oil hadn't been locked away after the first incident, with bottles and caps still strewn across the grass after Sunday night's intentional spillage.

The police confirmed that a complaint was laid on Friday afternoon regarding "spilled oil" but they were not following any lines of inquiry.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Police online or by calling 105 and quoting event number P044394139.

Whanganui District Council has been contacted for comment.