An Oamaru reporter thought he had a scoop when he saw someone trying to take his car while he worked late at night in his Thames St office.
Waitaki Herald's Drian Naude was still working at 12.30am on Saturday when he saw his car, parked outside the office, start to move.
He grabbed his camera and rushed outside, but the culprits saw him coming and drove away in another vehicle.
Mr Naude said he had left his car outside with the automatic in park and the handbrake on.
A group of people in a four-wheel-drive had pulled up in front of his car and hitched a tow rope to the nose, trying to drag the vehicle.
His attempt to catch the attempted theft on camera failed due to darkness, he said.
Mr Naude said when the culprits saw him coming, they unhitched his vehicle and drove off.
The front of the car was damaged, the tyres and, he suspects, the transmission as well.
Oamaru police are investigating the incident.
