LOADED TRUCK STOLEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 April 1938, Page 5

LOADED TRUCK STOLEN

CO-OP STORE LOSS. [PEE PRESS ASSOCIATION.] GERALDINE. April 17. A flaring theft was carried out at the week-end. when thieves broke into the Canterbury' Farmers' Co-operative Association’s general store at Geraldine and took a. comparatively new delivery truck, valued at more than £3OO.

Parking the truck at the rear of the grocery department, the thieves loaded it with an assortment of goods, said to lie valued at about £5O, from (lie grocery and hardware departments. They then drove out into the street, broke the padlock on the petrol pump, filled up with the best available and disappeared. The store is equipped with burglar alarms, but these had to be disconnected some time ago because of the many false, alarms caused by birds.

Discovery that something was amiss was made by Mr. F. J. Wood, of the grocery department, about 8 o’clock on Saturday morning when he found the back doors of the grocery department open. Everything was normal at the store when Mr. Wood visited it about 9 a.m. on Friday, so it appears that, the raid was carried out late on Friday night or in rhe early hours on Saturday morning. Heavy rain during the last few davs left the earth soti, and the intruders left the story of the night in footmarks for the police to lead vesterday morning. Marks under the iron gate at the south end of the store showed where the thieves gained entrance to the yard by crawling underneath. They then forced the lock on the (ruck shed, and removed a comparatively new truck, which they parked beside the loading landing at the back of the grocery department. Entrance to the store was gained by a window in the saddlerv department which gives access to the saddlery, hardware, and grocery departments. The office and drapery and footwear departments were barred to the thieves by the sliding steel fire-proof doors which divide the two departments. They are locked on the office side of the division. This protected the safe and strong room, which contained the takings for Thursday late night. Prevented from entering the office, the thieves turned to the grocery and hardware departments. They pocketed £1 3/4 from the till and removed a vacuum cleaner, crockery, paint, and cigarettes. After loading Hie stolen lorry they drove it out a back entrance into Wilson Street, and then round to the petrol pumps in front of the store in Peel Street. They smashed the padlock on the petrol bowser and filled up the petrol tank of the truck, in which they made their escape. That paint and enamel were included in the goods stolen may indicate that the thieves intended to paint, the truck which they had converted to their use. The truck is easily picked out by an unusual type of radiator bonnet, and police will welcome information about the stolen vehicle. The registration number is L 22-849. It is painted cream with the name. “The Farmers,,” on each door.