Armed robbery - Owhata
At about 6am this morning, four people armed with a large machete and other weapons entered the Te Ngae Road Caltex Service Station in Owhata, Rotorua.
They threatened a staff member, stole cash, vape products and cigarettes.
The offenders then left in a stolen vehicle which they dumped nearby.
After calls from the public alerting Police to the location of the vehicle, a police dog and handler tracked the offenders to a nearby address.
Three youth offenders were arrested and are facing charges of aggravated robbery and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.
The offenders are from Hamilton and Rotorua. The property stolen has been recovered along with the weapons used in the incident.
The vehicle used which was stolen from Hamilton overnight has been recovered and will be returned to its owner.
Inspector Phil Gillbanks, Rotorua Area Prevention Manager says “Police would like to thank the members of the public who were alert enough to notice suspicious activity and call Police right away.
We will not tolerate this behaviour and will take enforcement action where appropriate to keep our community safe. It is good to be able to recover the stolen items, including the vehicle used, and make these arrests.
Let this be a reminder that Police will continue to hold to account, those offenders choosing to behave like this. It is very lucky no one was injured.
Like the witnesses did in this case, always call Police straight away on 111 if you see or suspect anything suspicious happening."
You can also make a report after the fact, using our 105 service, either by phone or online.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.7% Second half of November
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43.6% 1st December
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17.4% A week before Christmas
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33.2% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.