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<\/p>\nA fake family emergency, a trail of muddy tyre tracks and cyclists “giving themselves a bad name” are among the issues southern police have dealt with recently.<\/p>\n
Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen, of Dunedin, said an 18-year-old man was found driving three friends and his father back to Clinton via the Southern Motorway at 1.30am yesterday after a visit to Dunedin.<\/p>\n
The five occupants were from three different addresses.<\/p>\n
The group stated they had come to Dunedin a few hours earlier for a family emergency with a close family member.<\/p>\n
However, after being questioned about the nature of the emergency it was revealed they did not know the name of the family member.<\/p>\n
The group had also been to a Night ‘n Day store.<\/p>\n
The 18-year-old had previously been spoken to about breaching lockdown and was issued an infringement.<\/p>\n
The four passengers were given a warning, Dinnissen said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In a separate incident, a car and motorcycle were seen ripping up the Montecillo Sports Ground at 1pm on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Police followed muddy tyre tracks back to an address on Glen Rd address and issued the owner of the car an infringement for a breach of lockdown and for the manner of driving.<\/p>\n
The car was impounded and the city council would be contacted about the issue, he said.<\/p>\n
Dinnissen also stressed the need for exercise to be done locally.<\/p>\n
People should not be driving long distances to cycle, he said.<\/p>\n
He brought up an example of cyclists travelling from Green Island to Bayfield and then riding 20km out to Portobello.<\/p>\n
Although the rules were ”a bit murky”, the behaviour was unacceptable.<\/p>\n
Cyclists “aren’t liked by many” and those flouting the lockdown rules gave them a bad name, he said.<\/p>\n