Hamish McNeilly

Fewer people died on Otago-Southland roads last year than in 2012.

An eagle-eyed bus driver and the owner of a missing wallet perfectly timed their entry into the Dunedin Police Station yesterday.

A Dunedin couple and their newborn baby fled a house fire caused by faulty Christmas tree lights yesterday morning.

A dangerous criminal escaped custody at the Dunedin Central police station while outside on a smoking break, police have confirmed.

Southern drivers have one of the highest rates of drug-driving in the country.

Welcome to the DCC - the new crime-fighting District Command Centre.

Policing in Otago and Southland is undergoing ''significant changes'' aimed at maximising frontline policing while reducing administration time, the Southern district's top cop says.

Police are unable to disclose how many arrests were made by officers affected by a ''monumental cock-up''.

A driver had a lucky escape after his vehicle skidded and was left teetering over the edge of a bank yesterday morning.

The 6-year-old boy who died from injuries near Invercargill on Monday night was riding an adult-sized 420cc quad bike when it rolled and crashed into a ditch.

Ian Henderson is proving it is possible to be successful recording, promoting and releasing music from a basement in Dunedin. Hamish McNeilly discovers how the underdog is producing music heard around the world.

A graffiti-removal specialist is working 10-hour days cleaning tagging from inner-city Dunedin streets.

Christchurch is racing away with the title of boy racer capital of New Zealand.

Continuing concerns about visitor behaviour on the world's steepest street, Baldwin St, Dunedin, prompted reporter Hamish McNeilly to investigate.

Playground equipment was deliberately set alight by youths in Dunedin yesterday, the Fire Service says.

Southern police arrested 22 people in the six hours before midnight on New Year's Eve, largely for alcohol-fuelled offences.

Tasers and training are credited with a double-digit drop in assaults against police.

Offenders on community sentences are getting on their bikes to help the community.

Leaked documents confirm the earlier involvement of southern racing clubs in what has become a major multi-agency investigation involving alleged pokie money-go-rounds.

Police have issued fewer speed camera tickets, as New Zealand motorists ''get the message about speeding''.