Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Please attribute to Acting Detective Senior Sergeant James Simpson, Relieving Area Investigations Manager:
Greymouth Police are appealing for the public’s help following several suspicious fires over the New Year holiday period.
At about 11pm on New Year’s Eve scrub at the Domett Esplanade in Cobden was set alight.
Around the same time a car was set alight at a property on Peel Street in Cobden.
On New Year’s Day a fire was lit underneath a campervan parked at Cobden tiphead campervan park at some time between 2:30am and 8am.
At 10:15pm on Saturday 2 January, several damaged cars parked at Prestons Road in Blaketown were set on fire.
Around 20 minutes later a fire was lit underneath another campervan parked at the Blaketown tiphead campervan park.
Thankfully no one was injured as a result of any of these fires but Police are treating each incident extremely seriously. Police are particularly concerned by the two campervan fires as people were staying in the vehicles at the time.
Police are determined to find the person or people responsible for these fires, and officers will be conducting reassurance patrols in the tiphead areas. We want to hear from anyone who can help.
We ask anyone with information, or anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the Cobden or Blaketown areas over the New Year period to call 105. This includes anyone who has CCTV or dashcam footage that can help.
We urge people to stay vigilant to any suspicious behaviour, and report anything of concern to Police immediately.
Police are also still investigating two suspicious fires that occurred in Thompson Street on 16 December and Willis Street on 18 December. No arrests have been made at this stage, and Police remain keen to hear from anyone who has information that can assist the investigation.
Officers are keeping an open mind as to any potential links between any of these fires and we urge the public to come forward with any information, no matter how insignificant you think it is.
Please call 105, or you can report anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
