PETROL THEFT INVESTIGATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 February 1939, Page 5

PETROL THEFT INVESTIGATION

SHOT FIRED AT POLICE. (per press .association.] CHRISTCHURCH. February 7. A shot was fired, but no one was hurt, when detectives accosted two men in Montreal Street, near Hazeldean Road. last, night. The men escaped. n was officially announced to-day that no one was hurt... and that the police had not. fired the shot. The officers gave chase, and the two men separated in their flight’. One man ran down Hazeldean Road, while the other turned north, later rejoining hi" companion. Although the detectives made a hard chase of it, die men escaped. Detectives C. P. Burns and Watt, with a. constable, were investigating reports of petrol thefts from city storehouses at ten o’clock, last evening. They went by car to an oil company’s premises’ in Montreal Street, 'they saw two men standing near by, and spoke to them. Then the officers were startled by a flash and the crack of a. pistol. A motor truck was later discovered, parked near by. and the detectives took possession of it, this morning.

Senior Sergeant J. Bickerdike said that, the shot was not. fired by his men. The police were at present making further inquiries into the case. For some time past, added Sergeant Bickerdike. the police have been receiving complaints of petrol thefts in the city. Inquiries had been made, and in. some cases, watches had been kept. Detectives Burns ami Warts had lit !), making inquiries of this nature last evening. An official of one of the oil companies. this afternoon, said that five ‘l4-gallon drums' of petrol, valued at £22, had been stolen from their store, on either Friday or Saturday evening. Other oil company officials said that they had not suffered, although one added that petrol had boon stolen some four or five months ago.