Youths caught for toi toi arson

Three youths are being spoken to by Police Youth Aid today after being caught setting fire to a toi toi bush behind ASB Baypark Stadium.

Stadium maintenance workers spotted the trio about 5.20pm yesterday, who chased them away and called emergency services.


Toi toi: File pic.

Mount Maunganui Fire Brigade station officer Roger Pickett says one worker tried to put the fire out while another followed the youths.

'It was across the paddock a bit and he [the worker] only had an extinguisher and he used that and it hadn't put it out.

'It was a dry powder extinguisher which is okay in confined spaces but no good out in the open. He'd done a reasonable job to stop it spreading, and we dealt to that with a hose reel.”

Stadium staff also called police, who later caught three young people.

'We ended up with more police than anyone there,” says Roger.

The flames did not endanger any properties, he says.

'It might have spread a little, but not very far. There was no danger to any buildings or anything like that. But it's still unlawful lighting of a fire.”

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1 comment

Pampas

Posted on 22-08-2014 13:36 | By Tyraone

Not Toi toi!! Pampas is a noxious weed and needs to be controlled.


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