Owner of torched cars offers reward

DESTROYED: Aztech Panel Beaters owner Ross Cocking with his two courtesy cars torched by vandals last weekend. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR HBT134144-01

A Napier businessman who found two of his company cars torched last weekend is offering a reward for anyone with information about the offenders.

Aztech Panel Beaters owner Ross Cocking was alerted to the inferno enveloping his Pandora business about 3.40am last Saturday.

Fire crews and police were called to the Mersey St workshop to find two cars completely torched and flames encroaching on nearby buildings.

The two cars destroyed were courtesy cars, a Toyota Corolla and a Nissan Sentra, valued about $2500.

Repairs to the workshop due to fire damage are also estimated to cost close to $1000, while the front of the building needs to be repainted.

Mr Cocking said he was offering a "sizeable reward" for anyone who could offer information that led to the whereabouts of the offenders or details of what happened in the early morning hours.

"Someone must have seen something. The police were chasing these two suspects so I think someone in the area would have seen them."

He also said a security camera at a property further down the street may offer some fresh clues into who started the blaze and was hopeful when the property owners returned from holiday the footage could be analysed.

He said police visited him yesterday and said they chased two suspects immediately following the fire before the "scent was lost" and they escaped.

Another car at the back of the workshop was also the victim of the brazen vandals and showed signs of being siphoned.

He said vandalism and theft was nothing new to the industrial area and is considering installing security cameras.