Tyres spiked in busy Ngakuta Bay

Marlborough Sounds residents are shocked at an ‘‘awful’’ attack on two cars and a boat trailer, which left a visiting family with six spiked tyres.

The Christchurch couple said they had parked their cars in the Marlborough Sounds for 40 years without any issues. But last month, when Pam and Ross Higgins returned to Ngakuta Bay, they found six tyres on the cars and trailer had been spiked.

Pam Higgins said they had parked in the same spot, to venture out on their launch in the Marlborough Sounds, since they were teenagers. But now they were reconsidering the tradition.

A police spokesman said a complaint had been received and enquiries were ongoing. Police were aware of no other similar occurrences.

Pam Higgins said they no longer felt safe parking their cars in the public car park, and might have to look for a local with a property they could park on.

There were always other cars in the public park, she said.

‘‘We don’t know whether we’ve been targeted because we park our cars there and disappear off down the Sounds, or whether we were just picked randomly.’’ The incident occurred between January 12 and January 19.

‘‘They have poked something really sharp between the wall of the tyre and where the rim joins on.’’

The tyres could not be repaired, she said. Ngakuta Bay resident Pamela Tan said the bay was becoming increasingly popular. ‘‘There’s a whole lot of canoeists that come out every day, lots more people are coming out ... that alters the population,’’ Tan said.

‘‘It could be a disgruntled person. People can have envy in all kinds of ways.

‘‘I really don’t know, it just sounds awful to me.’’

Residents were generally accepting of tourists and cars parked up in the bay, Tan said.

Ngakuta Bay Community Association chairman Julian Hawken urged residents to tell police about any such incidents.