Sailor held after rampage in harbour

[caption id="attachment_130378" align="aligncenter" width="497"] SORRY SIGHT: Engineer Neels Lombard surveys the damage to one of his vandalised vehicles Picture: MIKE HOLMES[/caption]

A SOUTH African Navy sailor from a ship docked in Port Elizabeth for Armed Forces Day was taken into custody early yesterday after allegedly going on the rampage and vandalising three vehicles inside the harbour precinct.

The 25-year-old sailor was taken into police custody after port security officials apprehended him shortly after 4am.

He allegedly tried to outrun security officials when they caught him damaging the vehicles belonging to a business inside the harbour. The motive is unclear. The sailor was detained at the Humewood police station until navy officials and military police took him into custody yesterday afternoon.

It is understood he was on shore leave at the time of the incident.

Armed Forces Day coordinator Commander Greyling van den Berg confirmed the incident and said the navy was investigating.

Neels Lombard, 64, the owner of C&C Services and the damaged vehicles, said he had been at home at the Gamtoos River Mouth when he received a call at about 4.30am from one of the neighbouring businesses, telling him what had happened in front of his workshop.