Playground fire a suspected arson

The toilet block at Oamaru’s Steampunk Playground was damaged in a suspected arson yesterday morning.

Emergency services were called to a fire at the toilets near Oamaru Harbour at 4.41am.

An Oamaru police spokeswoman said the middle toilet of the three-toilet block had been set on fire and the hand basin, hand dryer and toilet roll dispensers had been ripped from the wall.

"There’s superficial smoke damage to the toilet block, but extensive damage to the dryer and everything like that," the spokeswoman said.

There was damage to the other toilets as well, but the middle toilet received the most.

The fire was discovered by a Waitaki District Council staff member who was repairing a light at the toilet block.

A council social media post said it hoped to have one toilet open for the weekend, and it would look at portaloos too.

Police would like to hear from anybody who had information about the incident, the spokeswoman said.

The same night, the Awamoa Park men’s toilet block also had the hand basin ripped from the wall, and someone drove through the fence at the Phoenix Mill Water Wheel in Old Mill Rd.

kayla.hodge@odt.co.nz