Rice-shop alarm raised

A Mt Roskill rice-importer says two men attacked him and set his goods on fire yesterday.

Police, an ambulance and three fire engines were called to the small industrial building on Stoddard Rd at 6.20 pm.

Initial reports said the owner had been bashed unconscious, but Detective Sergeant Kay Capper said the man was awake when police arrived. He told them two people had just left the building.

A baker working 40m from the shop said a man approached him before police arrived and said he had been beaten up. But the man appeared to have no injuries.

A strong smell of smoke came from a pallet of charred rice inside the Andhra Imports shop.