The Star: August 31, 2023

The Star Thursday August 31 2023
22
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thieves steal community’s coal cart
Charitable Trust
DRIVER EDUCATION
GONE: A hole has been left in the Glentunnel community after one its coal carts was stolen. ​
• By Daniel Alvey
WHY WOULD anyone steal a
coal cart?
That’s the question that
has left the community
of Glentunnel, near
Darfield, stumped after
one of its coal carts – at
entry points to the area –
went missing.
Glentunnel Store
owner Glenn Chambers
said it has saddened the
community.
“We’re just gutted, to be
honest, gutted that somebody’s
Glenn
Chambers
done it. You know what’s
next, there’s all the concerned
citizens because we do have
a lot more bits that are
more historic than
that.
“My jaw hit the
ground when I found
out about it.”
To remove it the
thieves had to cut the
metal straps holding it
to the rail.
“It’s a fairly heavy object,”
Chambers said.
The replica cart was built by
members of the community
from original parts about 10
years ago.
One of the people involved
in its construction was Selwyn
District councillor Bob
Mugford.
“It really upsets me. I couldn’t
believe it when I was told.”
Mugford said this isn’t the
first time the cart has been
targeted.
“It had only been there a
week when someone pushed it
down a bank.”
The settlement became well
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known for its coal and sand
mines in the 1870s.
Chambers said he reported
the theft to police.
Chambers is still holding out
hope that someone has seen it
and it is returned.
“We’re just waiting to see if
it turns up at some stage. It’s
quite annoying because we are
a township that doesn’t seem to
get a lot of crime at all.”
Chambers said they are
now looking at doing more
fundraising to install CCTV
cameras in Glentunnel.
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