A masked man "chopped his way in'' to a Dunedin service station to steal more than $7000 of cigarettes and tobacco.
The Burnside Service Station assistant manager, who did not want to be named, said CCTV footage revealed a ''very tall'' man drove to the station in Main South Rd about 2am yesterday and smashed a hole in the glass door of the station.
''He chopped his way in using an axe.''
The hole was made with three swings of the axe, he said.
The man reached through the hole and unlocked the door.
Inside the station, the man ''attacked'' the lock on the cigarette cabinet but failed to gain entry.
''So he attacks the roller door [of the cabinet], which succeeds and he proceeds to clear it out until he's interrupted.''
A neighbour turning on an outside light ''spooked'' the man.
The man quickly exited the station after the light was turned on.
The man stole about $7000 of cigarettes and tobacco but left ''a lot'' in the cabinet.
During the getaway the man unlocks his car.
''He was obviously worried about someone nicking from him, when he was nicking from us.''
The station owner could not be contacted yesterday as he was on a flight to China.
