LEAD STORY: Safe stolen from cafe - but community rallies

ROGER MORONEY
Monday was a day as dark and cold as a day could be for Taradale cafe couple John and Nina Milne, despite the warm air and summer sunshine.
But one day later the brightness and warmth had returned - and it was all down to what Mr Milne called good old-fashioned community Christmas spirit.
Early Monday, just after 6am, the couple arrived to open their Gloucester St business, Cafe Gecko, and discovered they had been visited by someone other than customers.
``Someone had broken through the back doors and stolen our safe containing the week's takings and money we had been saving for our holiday,' Mr Milne said.
Their initial reactions were a mixture of loss, grief, sadness and anger.
``We realised that our Christmas was going to be a bit of a downer.'
But, with coffee to brew, food to prepare and customers to host, the pair opened the doors and carried on, albeit under a dark cloud.
As police investigated the break-in the Milnes simply went about their business, but word soon started getting around that the couple, who have run the cafe for about two years, had been burgled.
Unbeknown to them, a couple of local businesspeople and friends, who John named as ``Marty and Steve', took the hat around the retail community.
And the community responded generously.
On Tuesday, ``out of the blue', Marty and Steve popped in and handed the couple a card which had been signed by dozens of other businesspeople and friends.
They also handed over the collected money. The pair was stunned and delighted.
``It has given us new faith in the best that people can be at just the right time ... these people are the best,' Mr Milne said.
``Our faith is restored.'
He added that he had a simple message for those who took their safe and savings.
``I wish them all the worst.'
Mr Milne said they would do their best to say thank you to all their chums in the retail community by baking up a selection of muffins.
Napier CIB Detective Sergeant Dan Foley said police received a report that a car, described as grey, square-shaped, possibly an early Ford Falcon model and with one brake light not working, had been seen slowly leaving a service lane area behind the cafe's block on Sunday night.
He said there had been a rise in the number of burglaries where cash registers, tills and safes containing cash were the clear targets. He advised businesses to take extra precautions, and for the public to report any suspicious vehicle movements.
Anyone with information about the cafe break-in can contact Napier police on 831 0700 or call the Crimeline 0800 567 789.