One of the youths stabbing the security camera monitoring the Masterton Miniature Train site on Saturday night. PHOTOS/SUPPLIED
BECKIE WILSON
[email protected]
A group of youths wearing backpacks were caught on the security camera they attacked with a knife at Masterton’s Miniature Train station over Labour weekend.
The group of about four boys and two girls were videoed walking around the train station in Queen Elizabeth Park, before two of the boys noticed the two security cameras shortly before 11pm on Saturday.
The two took turns stabbing the camera with a knife about nine times before walking away, Masterton Miniature Train Society vice-president Barry Stroud said.
Stroud uploaded security footage to the society’s Facebook page in the hopes of the community identifying the offenders.
“I don’t want to encourage anything like that, but if it publicly leads to a result that’s all well in good.”
Stroud said the “kids” were “pretty identifiable” in the footage.
His main concern was that they were carrying a knife.
“It’s the fact they sat down, saw the camera, and then decided after standing in front of them for about 10 minutes, to stab them,” he said.
“They cut the camera cables – they destroyed one [camera], and stabbed another one.”
As a community organisation, Stroud said he’d like to recover the cost of the cameras which he estimated to be around $2000.
Stroud said the society installed the cameras to protect the station a couple of years ago when there were a few incidents of vandalism.
“It’s paid for itself – we haven’t had any problems since installing them,” Stroud said.
Detective Senior Sergeant Barry Bysouth said the incident was reported to police on Sunday afternoon, and they were working to identify the youths.
“This is mindless vandalism in a park where families go to take their children and enjoy themselves,” Bysouth said.
“I’m not sure why people would do this.”
He encouraged the offenders to come forward to police as soon as possible.
To view the footage, go to the Masterton Miniature Train Society Facebook page.
