Man takes rifle to public loo

A man has been arrested after walking into the Ashburton public toilets with a rifle slung over his shoulder.

On Thursday morning, the man parked his vehicle on East St then walked into the nearby toilets with a rifle hanging over his shoulder, said Acting Senior Sergeant Jim Currie.

Witnesses reported his car registration number, and rural police units stopped him in Dunsandel. The man was arrested for disorderly behaviour and not securing his weapon, Currie said.

He did have a firearms licence. However, police said this would be reviewed following the incident.

Senior Sergeant Scott Banfield, of Ashburton, said the man’s behaviour caused ‘‘considerable alarm’’ within the community and was ‘‘simply unacceptable’’.

The man would appear in the Ashburton District Court on September 23, he said.

Two witnesses said it was a little frightening to see a man walking around with a gun and they felt angry at how irresponsible he was being.

‘‘What an idiot to do that in this town when it has just been a year to date with what this town has gone through.’’

On September 1, 2014, an armed offender allegedly shot and killed two people at the Ashburton Work and Income offices, seriously injuring a third person. The witnesses said the man’s actions ‘‘showed utter disrespect for the community."

What an idiot to do that in this town when it has just been a year to date with what this town has gone through. Unamed witness