Burglary adds to shop's problems

Rupinder Gill says his wife is still recovering from the incident.

A dairy still under repair after an elderly driver crashed in through the front window and injured a woman inside has since been burgled.

Cigarettes and cash were stolen from the Centamax Superette in Papamoa about 11.25pm on Sunday.

Senior Sergeant Phil Gillbanks said the two raiders were wearing dark clothing and were seen running towards Domain Rd.

Police were viewing CCTV footage in effort to track them down.

Mr Gillbanks appealed to anyone who might be offered cheap cigarettes or who might know something to come forward. Mr Gillbanks said the pair jemmied the front door of the shop, which had been boarded up after an elderly driver crashed a car into the store's glass frontage. "There are people in society who don't really have a moral compass." Shop owner Rupinder Gill's wife, Kulwinder Kaur, suffered significant injuries to her leg in the crash and needed five hours of surgery after the car hit the shop on August 2.

He said he felt "very bad" dealing with the burglary while his wife was recovering from a lengthy surgery.

Mr Gill said he was happy to have his wife home from the hospital. Doctors had told him it would take months for her leg to heal properly.