Papamoa dairy targeted in late-night burglary

Centamax Superette owner Rupinder Gill outside his superette which an elderly man careered into. PHOTO/RUTH KEBER

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

A large amount of cigarettes and cash was stolen from the Centamax Superette in Papamoa about 11.25pm on Sunday.

Senior Sergeant Phil Gillbanks said the two offenders were wearing dark clothing and were seen fleeing on foot toward Domain Rd.

Police were still viewing CCTV footage in effort to track them down, he said.

It was possible the two lived locally and Mr Gillbanks appealed to anyone who might be offered cheap cigarettes or who might know something to come forward.

Mr Gillbanks said the offenders 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 that don't really have a moral compass. It's about them and maybe they aren't overly concerned about the impact their offending has on others,'' Mr Gillbanks said.

Earlier on Sunday, shop owner Rupinder Gill said business had been slower since the crash but was hoping it would pick up again once the front entrance was properly fixed.

He told the Bay of Plenty Times his wife suffered significant injuries to her leg in the crash and needed five hours of surgery.

The doctors had told Mr GIll his wife would be fine but her leg would take up to six months to repair properly.