Vandalism of sign goes ‘a step too far’

As the silly season kicks off for council elections, a vandal has given a scorching appraisal of Kapiti’s mayoral policies.

Kapiti mayoral candidate, and incumbent, Ross Church said standard election-cycle vandalism had gone ‘‘a step too far’’ after a nocturnal visitor torched one of his signs on Donovan Rd, Paraparaumu Beach.

‘‘It’s a bit extreme that somebody actually planned to go out in the middle of the night and burn down a sign,’’ Church said.

Church said another of his 10 large signs had been smashed up, but that someone had brought out ‘‘the flames’’ to the election campaign had been a shock.

The Monday night attack was not completely successful, with the sign still upright, and the flames only damaging its lower half - leaving the mayor’s face and name untouched.

Church did not know why anybody would want to burn his sign, and said there was always vandalism during elections but nighttime arson was disturbing. He had reported the attack to police.