$4500 reward offered to catch hoaxer

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34047, 10 January 1976, Page 2

$4500 reward offered to catch hoaxer

t.\e» Ireland iMtutu XEW PI MOI 111. January 9. \ further bomb scare at the W aitara freezing works this week has prompted meetings of union and management in a determined effort to track down the hoax caller. The reward offered by Thos Borthwick and Sons (A’Asia). Ltd. for information has lieen doubled to SIOIMI. and the Taranaki Freezing Workers' I nion says it w ill add SSOII.

The latent M»re was the eighth received at the works over the last two sears Eighteen delegates from the workers’ union board ol control met todav to discuss the issue and to prepare a public statement. The secretary of the Freezing Workers’ Union 'Mr P D Greenleest said that the union had resolv ed publicly to dissociate itself from the activities of the person or' persons responsible for the bomb scares. The union asked the community of Waitara general!* to help in evens wav possible in the apprehension of those involved “As a safetv measure, union members leave the works area tn each incident and do not teturn to work before midnight that dav.” the union's statement said. “Two of the scares have! Involved the threatened plac-< ing of a bomb in rhe am- j monia pipes—and we think the Public should be made aware of the dangers of an escane of ammonia. “The escape of the total; capacity of rhe ammoniastored at the Waitara works, could undoubtedly cause con-: •iderable loss of life for a radius of five miles.” Mr Greenlees said that rhe. recent outbreak of ammonia; ar Hastings illustrated the! concern felt by the Civil Defence authorities in that area

Ihe union, be -aid. was vit-j ally concerned about the -afetv of its men The Waitara police -aid to-, dav that the hoaxer’s telephone calls were received normally at the -witchhoard in the works, but had gone once to the police station. The caller had always been a man. **********