Nor'West News: January 21, 2020

NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Tuesday January 21 2020 3
News
Youths trespassed from Riccarton House
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding
THREE YOUTHS have been
issued with trespass notices
following a spate of vandalism
at Riccarton House.
Police have issued trespass
notices to the teenagers aged
between 14 and 16 after the
premises was hit four times in
one week.
The most recent event took
place last Saturday when a
small fire was
started on
a riverbank
located on the
property.
The heritage
site’s
manager
Shona Willis
Shona Willis
said there
were about six
youths caught on security cameras
when the fire was started at
about 5pm.
Police and a fire crew were
called to the scene, and the teenagers
fled, she said.
But the same group returned
at about 7.27pm.
Mrs Willis immediately called
the police and the teenagers
were spoken to.
She said three of them regularly
seen on the grounds were
trespassed.
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The trespass notices will last
for two years.
“Hopefully we are at the end
of it,” Mrs Willis said.
Although she said the youths
returned briefly in spite of the
trespass notices being issued.
Mrs Willis said the restaurant
owner approached the vehicle,
occupied by at least two youths,
and warned them a trespass notice
had been issued and would
phone police.
The vehicle then left.
Before then on January 5, the
site’s public toilets – including a
toilet roll holder, soap dispenser
and air dryer was damaged
between 5.30 and 8.30pm.
Mrs Willis said it was suspected
an ignited aerosol can
was used to vandalise the facilities
– resulting in about $500 of
damage.
She said security cameras
captured about five youths
along with a car registration
plate on the night the damage
took place.
The toilets are connected to
the historic house, but can only
be accessed from the outside of
the building.
Eight youths then spraypainted
obscenities and racist
remarks on the driveway at
about 8pm, Mrs Willis said.
In a third incident, about 15
teenagers came back at about
6pm on Wednesday, placed a
pile of rubbish on top of a picnic
table and set it on fire – leaving
the picnic table charred.
DAMAGE: A hand dryer,
toilet roll holder and soap
dispenser were scorched by
vandals at Riccarton House.
In Brief
REWARD OFFERED FOR
JEWELLERY RECOVERY
The owner of a pawn shop hit in
an aggravated robbery last week is
offering a $10,000 reward for the
recovery of stolen jewellery. Two
masked offenders brandishing
a hammer and metal pole stole
more than $40,000 in jewellery
from the The Pawn Shop on
Blenheim Rd.
The store’s owner Gary Boote
is offering the reward for the
recovery of the stolen items,
which includes diamond rings
and a diamond bracelet.
CCTV footage of the incident
showed the offenders smashing
cabinets before loading the
jewellery into bags.
COMMUNITY BOARD MEETING
The first Coastal-Burwood
Community Board meeting for
the year will be held on February
3 in the boardroom on the corner
of Beresford and Union Sts, New
Brighton.
POOL VIDEO ONLINE
New Brighton’s seaside hot
water pools are on track to open
in late March. Development
Christchurch Ltd has released
a video showing progress at the
site. It said work was “on track” to
finish in late March.
•To see the video go to www.
starnews.co.nz
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