Faulknors service station Lansdowne. PHOTO/KAREN COLTMAN
KAREN COLTMAN
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A trailer of wood, stolen from Lansdowne Mobil overnight on Monday, came loose and smashed into a power pole in Masterton.
When staff arrived at Lansdowne Mobil at 5.30am on Tuesday morning, their first customers told them a firewood-filled trailer of theirs was on the side of the road with its contents spread across both lanes.
After 10pm and before 5.30am the chained-up trailer was cut away, put on a tow bar, and driven away – but not far.
The would-be thieves didn’t hook up the trailer correctly and it came off the vehicle at the Cooper St and Te Ore Ore Rd intersection.
The loose trailer had smashed into a power pole just after the exit from the service station.
The load of wood had tipped off and was scattered across both sides of the road.
Owner of the wood and trailer Lisa Grant went over to pick up the wood and retrieve her trailer.
It is now back at the Wairarapa Firewood Supplies 2010 depot.
“The thieves have wrecked my trailer worth over two thousand dollars so that is a loss for start,” Grant said.
There is a CCTV camera operating in the area and Grant intended to review it and get it to police.
She spent the afternoon sorting out information for her insurance company.
“They are pretty ballsy to come and cut chains and drive off,” Grant said.
“But no matter how hard times are, stealing from people trying to run a business is really unfair.”
The wood in the trailer was worth $250.
Carterton’s Smith Hare and Christison Mobil owner Blaine Smith said it was poor form to be an opportunist thief.
“It is generous of the owner to lend customers a trailer when they buy firewood and it works but this type of thing damages a good service,” Smith said.
