Fears fire linked to past
Colin Ansell can’t help but think his turbulent past has caught up with him after his Taranaki business was burgled and then burned out within 24 hours.
Ansell, who in the past achieved national notoriety for his racial beliefs and time as the chairman of the right-wing National Front, owned and operated the One Stop Print Shop screen printing business in Ha¯ wera.
The premises was destroyed by fire shortly before 6pm on Tuesday night last week, one day after it had been burgled.
Up to 15 fire crews were called to fight the blaze.
A decade ago Ansell made headlines for his links to the farright group the National Front.
As Colin King-Ansell, he once led the NZ National Socialist Party and stood for Parliament under its banner.
He was jailed for 18 months for his role in a 1968 arson attack on an Auckland synagogue, was involved in the pro-skinhead group Unit 88, and has been convicted on a charge of publishing an anti-Jewish pamphlet.
In 2006 he said he had renounced Nazism 25 years previously.
Ansell said he had no issues with Ha¯ wera people, but thought his past may have something to do with the burglary and fire.
‘‘A lot of people don’t like me but that’s their problem, not mine,’’ he said.
Ansell has been a screen printer for most of his life and opened the shop on Princes St in 2004.
On the night of September 30 the shop was burgled, with thieves getting away with computers, printers and a portable hard drive, which stored 15 years’ worth of artwork.
‘‘I am 72 and seen my life’s work gone down the gurgler.
‘‘I went in on Tuesday morning and discovered the burglary. And I sort of tidied up and things like that during the day, locked up about quarter-past four.’’
Two hours later he received a call saying his building was burning down, which came as an ‘‘absolute shock’’.
Ansell claimed he couldn’t get insurance due to the building being more than 100 years old. ‘‘We lost everything,’’ he said. After attempting to salvage what he could he was unsure how he was going to bounce back.
Yesterday, Police and Fire and Emergency NZ said they were still investigating both the burglary and the fire.