What shall we do with drunken sailor?

A Navy sailor has been charged with drink-driving after seven cars were smashed at the Devonport ferry car park early yesterday morning.

Residents woke to a huge bang and ringing car alarms about 5am yesterday when the area was blanketed in fog.


A car slid into parked vehicles after it failed to take a corner near the Navy base on Auckland's North Shore.

Joy Mace, who lives across the road, said she got up after hearing the commotion.

By the time she reached the car park to take down the registration plate number of the offender's car, which also had a Navy identification sticker, a man had been arrested, she said.

Mrs Mace said Navy personnel had caused problems before.

"I regularly ring the police about the yobbos ... I've pursued them all the way to the Navy base in my dressing gown and nightie to dob them in."

Another resident, Pam Smith, said locals were sick of the bad behaviour. "They are hooning past all the time ... they used to have a military police vehicle patrol the area and if there was any trouble deal with it straight away."

A friend of the car driver shook his head in disbelief when he saw the wreckage.

"I can't believe it. My mate only just bought this car brand new."

The man, who did not want to be named, said he had taken his friend back to the Navy base by taxi before the accident.

"He must have got texted [to go out]."

None of the car owners appeared to have returned to their vehicles by midday yesterday.

People often leave vehicles there overnight to travel to Waiheke Island for the weekend.

One such car-owner later contacted the Herald to say her family were shocked to discover their damaged car and the general car park carnage.

"We could see, from the ferry, people milling around pointing. I thought at first it must have been staged as a road safety message."

Navy public relations officer Lieutenant Commander Barbara Cassin said: "The Navy's role as a good neighbour to the Devonport community is taken very seriously."