NZ Police's Irish apology

Photo NZ Police.
Photo NZ Police.
Police have unreservedly apologised to the Irish after incorrectly identifying the nationality of a dangerous driver who strapped a kayak crossways to his car.

A police statement yesterday said the tourist was stopped by a police patrol on State Highway 25A in Coromandel, between Kopu and Hikuai, on Sunday afternoon.

Rather than tying the kayak to the roof of his car lengthways, the tourist had attached the kayak crossways, so its ends were protruding over either side of the car.

Since yesterday, the story has gone global and had been reported by Irish media.

But in a statement today, police admitted the officer who stopped the tourist had assumed the man was Irish because of his accent.

"While the man was a visitor to the region, he was not Irish and as a result Waikato police wish to offer an unreserved apology to any persons of Irish descent we may have offended," district road policing manager Inspector Freda Grace said.

"Unfortunately we did not check his identity documents and as a result the driver was issued a warning, ordered to remove the kayak and told to head back into town to get suitable transport arranged for the kayak before continuing his journey."

However, Irish news website The Journal reported a New Zealand police spokesperson had said "the man's nationality was revealed when he presented his ID to the officer who stopped him, and then confirmed by him verbally".

Police were being sought for comment on the differing accounts.

In the police statement today, Mrs Grace said the man was not issued a ticket because he appeared to have a foreign accent.

"In this case the officer believed obtaining compliance from the motorist and preventing a crash was a more effective outcome than issuing the driver a fine and she believed she was enhancing foreign relations."

NZME. 

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