Three traffic officers beaten

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32776, 29 November 1971, Page 1

Three traffic officers beaten

(New Zealand Press Association)

INVERCARGILL, November 28. Three Invercargill City Council traffic officers were beaten up by about 40 youths and girls outside the Invercargill Post Office early this morning.

The officers were thrown to the ground, kicked and beaten, had their uniforms ripped and some parts of their uniforms, including two caps, were stolen.

The assault was initiated by the occupants of a car which was double-parked outside the Post Office and which was asked to move along by an officer.

As well as the doubleparked car, there were several other cars parked in the restricted five-minute parking zone outside the post office. The youths were using obscene language and when one officer asked them to stop it he was attacked and forced to the ground. Another traffic officer was at the scene in a separate car and when he saw the

assault he went to help his fellow officer. However, he too, was surrounded by the mob and attacked. / A third officer arrived at the scene about five minutes after the initial attack and when he tried to help his two companions he was also attacked.

The assault continued for about 10 minutes until the police arrived and the crowd dispersed quickly. The police took one person away from the scene: Several persons were interviewed about the assault by police today, and traffic officers are helping police in their inquiries.

In spite of the ferocity of the assault, the officers did not require hospital treatment. They suffered cuts, bruises and torn clothing. They are Senior Patrol Officer C. R. Payne, and Traffic Officers F. R. Waldron, and B. J. Harcourt.