A 60-year-old Palmerston man who dared take forbidden fruit from the Palmerston police station grounds on Sunday afternoon is yet to be spoken to by police.
Senior Constable Stefan Witehira, of Palmerston, said the man had been spotted by a member of the public raiding the station's apple tree.
The offender had, in turn, spotted the spotter, before promptly jumping the fence and fleeing the scene in a vehicle occupied by a female, Snr Const Witehira said.
The theft of fruit from properties around Palmerston happened periodically, but most people in the community were happy to give fruit to those who asked for it, he said.
Snr Const Witehira was unsure whether this was the first time fruit had been stolen from the tree.
"It's the first time anyone has seen someone do it," he said.
