Burglars take cash, ignore presents

Press, 11 December 1981, Page 4

Burglars take cash, ignore presents

T Burglars took more than $lOO in cash when they ransacked an office in the Presbyterian Social Service Association’s headquarters at. 236 Hereford Street early yesterday, but ignored Christmas presents for needy children in Christchurch. The presents, neatly wrapped and named, were stacked under a Christmas tree. “For some reason they did not touch them, but they did quite a bit of damage to the office,” said the association’s community liaison officer, Ms Linda Constable. It was the fourth burglary of the headquarters in 10 months. “They seem to have a theory that because we are a charitable institution we must have money to give away, and that we might not

prosecute — neither of which - is true,” she said. Offices have been exten-' ? sively damaged in previous burglaries, and furniture'’ thrown through windows. Detectives are investigat- ‘ ing the theft of cameras and binoculars, valued at $lO,OOO ' from Smiths City Market/ auction rooms, at 88 Mon- ■ treal Street, on Wednesday ' night. The goods, which were to ■ have been auctioned today, were part of an insurance ' sale resulting from a big fire ' at Pan Pacific Cameras, in * New Brighton Mall, on/ November 13. Two sound-movie cameras were included. Most of the. cameras were without cases, and some were smoke-dam--aged. The burglars got into the - auction rooms through the roof.