Warning on petrol theft 'drive-offs'

Burnside Service Station staff member George Wishart is warning others to be aware after a petrol...
Burnside Service Station staff member George Wishart is warning others to be aware after a petrol theft in Dunedin yesterday. Photo by Gregor Richardson.

A service station employee is warning others to ''be aware'' following a petrol theft in Dunedin yesterday, as police inquiries continue into stolen registration plates used in other ''petrol drive-offs''.

Burnside Service Station staff member George Wishart said a man with a shaved head pumped $119 of petrol into a black station wagon, then drove away from the Green Island outlet without paying, about 9.15am yesterday.

Mr Wishart said he was angered by the brazen theft.

The station had a camera filming the forecourt.

It was the first petrol theft in the four months Mr Wishart had worked at the station.

He warned other service station staff to be vigilant.

''You need to keep a lookout and be aware of what's going on around the place.''

Station owner Ansyn Li said the petrol theft was the second at the station this year.

Mr Li had owned the station for nearly four years and, on average, he had had about 20 petrol thefts a year.

''It's really bad.''

He had to cover the cost of the stolen petrol.

Senior Sergeant Liz Waru, of Dunedin, said a set of registration plates was stolen from a vehicle at a dealership in Princes St between 5pm on Tuesday and 8am on Wednesday.

The plates had been used for ''petrol drive-offs''.

Acting Senior Sergeant James Ure, of Dunedin, said police inquiries into the Green Island incident were continuing.

shawn.mcavinue@odt.co.nz

 

Advertisement