'I panicked': Clarke Gayford's hilarious run-in with police

Clarke Gayford had a near run-in with the police while setting off on a fishing trip. Photo / NZ Herald

Clarke Gayford has opened up about his run-in with a police officer while heading out on a fishing trip.

A cartoon by the Herald's Rod Emmerson grabbed Gayford's attention, leading the new father to share his own experience of law enforcement.

The Prime Minister's partner took to social media to reveal the moment he thought he'd be arrested at a petrol station.

Posting Emmerson's cartoon on Instagram, Gayford wrote: "I was at a petrol station filling my boat a few years ago and a uniformed police officer yelled across the forecourt 'Hey mate, MATE! -you know what you're doing is illegal!'

"I panicked wondering what I'd done, I started looking all around, trying to see what the problem was, when he walked up and said; 'Mate, you know it's illegal to go fishing on a workday' Then we both cracked up laughing, and he asked me for my best fishing spots.

"Only in NZ. Thanks to Mr Emmerson C/- The Herald for another great cartoon."

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I was at a petrol station filling my boat a few years ago and a uniformed police officer yelled across the forecourt 'Hey mate, MATE! -you know what you're doing is illegal!' I panicked wondering what I'd done, I started looking all around, trying to see what the problem was, when he walked up and said; 'Mate, you know it's illegal to go fishing on a workday' Then we both cracked up laughing, and he asked me for my best fishing spots. Only in NZ. Thanks to Mr Emmerson C/- The Herald for another great cartoon :)

A post shared by Clarke Gayford (@clarkegayford) on Jul 22, 2018 at 3:45pm PDT

Fans took to social media to share their love for Gayford's story, with one person writing: "Bloody crack up mate!".

Another said: "NZ, the land of good buggers! Even our cops are hard case."

Emmerson's cartoon pokes fun at sensitive information breaches and Clarke Gayford.

His cartoon captures two police officers talking, with one saying: "... we've got a problem. Someone has misplaced the Clarke Gayford file of the best fishing spots in NZ".

It's not the first time Gayford has shown his humour after dishing out his parenting tips just one month after baby Neve was born.

His first child with partner and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Gayford is taking on the role of stay-at-home dad when Ardern returns to work.

His Twitter reveals he's enjoying dad duty, as he shares what makes a winning onesie and revels in the glorious sound of eliciting a burp from his "small bundle of warmth".

Tweeting at the ungodly hour of 4am, Gayford rated a zip up onesie against a dome buttoned number and a double zipped option. His research has led him to deduce the latter comes up trumps.

4am conclusions.
Zip up onesies are > dome button onesies but a double zip onesie is > than them all.

— Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) July 16, 2018

Earlier in the month, as he shared a link on Southern Right Whales, he confessed that, yes, it was 2am and marvelled at his newfound burping ability: "who knew that extracting a burp from a small bundle of warmth at this time is possibly the most rewarding sound on earth."

Some great reading on NZ Southern Right pop rebuild, and a rare (albeit tender) positive ocean story.

.... yes its 2.20am, who knew that extracting a burp from a small bundle of warmth at this time is possibly the most rewarding sound on earth. https://t.co/vviBZdPtsG

— Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) July 8, 2018

Baby Neve, full name Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford, arrived on June 22 at Auckland Hospital weighing 3.31kg to delighted parents Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford who shared "welcome to our village wee one."