'Wanted' man now free to go

A Hamilton man has slammed police for a campaign in which he was labelled one of the region's most wanted men.

Blue Hayward spoke to the Waikato Times yesterday after police withdrew charges against him of theft and failing to answer court bail.

The 21-year-old was arrested last month as part of the highly publicised Operation Persil, a police operation targeting burglary, violence and dishonesty crimes.

In an unusual move, police provided the names and photographs of 11 men, including Hayward, to the Waikato Times in a bid to nab the region's "most wanted offenders".

Hayward, who was originally accused of stealing a gaming console, said the hype surrounding his whereabouts and arrest was unfair and "a big over-reaction".

Police arrested him at his niece's birthday party but Hayward yesterday said he had never tried to hide from the courts.

He said the withdrawal of the charges was a relief but questioned why police had named him as one of the region's most wanted men. However, he wasn't expecting an apology from police.

Police prosecutor Baden Hilton said that after reviewing the case it was believed the theft charge could be best dealt with in the civil courts.

Police earlier told the Times public fear of burglary and the high number of violent offenders on the streets spurred them to go public with Operation Persil.

- © Fairfax NZ News