Christchurch, Jan 19 NZPA - More than six weeks after his arrest charged with a series of expensive parking meter ramraids around the city, a 32-year-old Christchurch man has again been remanded in custody.

Alan William Hayward, a labourer who lives in a Worcester Street flat in the central city, has not yet entered pleas to the nine charges of unlawfully taking vehicles, 11 charges of damaging parking meters, and 11 charges of stealing cash from the Christchurch City Council.

The police allege ramraids on 38 meters owned by the council from which he obtained about $20,000 cash. They say about $400,000 damage was done to the meters in the process.

The charges allege he was taking heavy four-wheel drive Nissan Terranos which would then be used to knock over few parking meters.

The charges suggest that by knocking over three or four parking meters at a time, the offender was obtaining well over $1000 cash, though sometimes he got less, or even nothing.

At Hayward's remand appearance today, defence counsel Gerald Lascelles said the police were disclosing a large amount of material relating to the case and asked for more time to consider it before pleas were entered.

Christchurch District Court Judge Colin Doherty granted the remand, in custody without plea, to February 1.

Hayward's partner and a child were in court, waving to him from the public seats as he made his appearance.

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