Bar owner Leo Molloy has hit out at police for inaction claiming an attempted break-in at his HeadQuarters bar caused more than $50,000 in damage.
Molloy has CCTV footage of damage being done to a new fully electric awning that shelters the front courtyard of the bar in Auckland鈥檚 Viaduct.
The outspoken businessman accused police of being 鈥渨eak as piss鈥 for not arresting offenders despite arriving within minutes and speaking to them.
He told the听Herald听the awning was only installed 10 weeks ago and cost $260,000. The damage was estimated to be around $50,000 and meant the outdoor area would be exposed to the elements for four weeks.
听鈥淭hanks NZ Police, you鈥檙e as weak as piss. We have the surveillance, we have their images. What more do you need FFS,鈥 Molloy posted to Twitter.
Molloy added a screenshot of what appears to be communication from the police media team stating police attended but no arrests had been made.
He said the estimated loss of turnover from losing the all-weather area heading into winter would be in the 鈥渉undreds of thousands鈥.
Molloy was alerted after a cleaner arrived at the bar early in the morning to find people on the roof.
听鈥淗e鈥檚 not a big guy so he called 111 and when police arrived I understand the guys were still on the roof. They were just told to get down, no arrests were made,鈥 Molloy said.
The CCTV image shows the man about to hit the ground after falling from the awning at Headquarters Bar at Auckland's Viaduct. Photo / CCTV Leo Molloy
鈥淚鈥檓 gutted because we are faced with a four-week fix so that鈥檚 hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost turnover - for the police to say it doesn鈥檛 matter just isn鈥檛 right.鈥
CCTV footage shows a bare-chested man with a red baseball cap swinging from the awning. In another shot, it shows the same man falling backwards, with arms out, just about to hit the ground.
鈥淭hat would have to have hurt him,鈥 Molloy said.
鈥淭hat is around a 3m fall and it was onto hard pavers.鈥
Police told the Herald they received reports of a group of four people 鈥減laying around鈥 and damaging the roof at the commercial premises.
Damage to the $260,000 electric awning willcost about $50,000 to repair. Photo / Dean Purcell
鈥淧olice have attended, located a group nearby who matched the description, and spoken with the offenders,鈥 a spokesman said.
鈥淧olice have undertaken to facilitate reparations between the owner of the premises and those responsible for any damage.鈥
HeadQuarters Viaduct opened on January 25 after moving from its previous site nearby. It is now on the site of the old O鈥橦agan鈥檚 Irish Pub on Customs St West.
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