A 91-year-old New Zealand war veteran says he has been
forced to put his new career as a modern-day Batman on hold because
he is not allowed to be out fighting crime alone at night.
John Bray considers he is more than qualified to deal with the
evildoers in the North Island town of Waipawa, having served with
the Long Range Desert Group, a reconnaissance and raiding unit in
north Africa in World War II.
So he enlisted as a member of the local community patrol, an
organisation which acts as "the eyes and ears" of the police,
cruising the streets at night, reporting any suspicious
activity.
Like Batman, he started out with a partner but decided to go
solo when his Robin equivalent, a man in his late 80s, kept falling
asleep on duty.
Now he has been told by the local head of the community patrol
organisation that he cannot work alone and he must find a new
sidekick if he wants to get back on the roster.
"I want to keep going so now I have to find a new partner," he
told AFP, describing his crimefighting role as a success, driving
through the streets at night armed only with a spotlight and mobile
phone.
"Definitely, it's been a success. It keeps the police informed
of anything that's going on."
