A motorist pulled over for suspected drunk-driving claims $221 went missing from his car after it was impounded by the Police.

Michael Tucker, 50, from Warwick, was on the way to the airport to pick up his wife around 9.30 p.m on New Year's Eve when he was pulled over on North Shore Road, Smith's.

Mr. Tucker who admits he'd had two beers and has a record of traffic offences was taken to Hamilton Police Station. His Kia Soul car was taken to the Police pound at Prospect.

According to Mr. Tucker, the cash was on the console along with his cell phone because he planned to spend it on a night out with his wife. He says he asked the officer who detained him to retrieve them but was refused.

"They told me they would take me to the Police station and I was inquiring about this the whole time. I was picking my wife up, and we were going to go straight out because it was New Year's Eve. When I went back to retrieve the car, the money was missing. The car had been gone through, searched, and it's been a brainbuster trying to retrieve this money back from the Police," he said.

Mr. Tucker, who works in maintenance claims that his wife a nurse whose name he declined to give was left stranded at the airport because the Police would not let him call her. He spent the night in custody and was released at 6 a.m. on New Year's Day.

According to Mr. Tucker, he participated in two breath tests one of which he passed, and one of which he failed. However, he has been charged with failing to comply with a demand for breath, which he denies, and will go on trial at Magistrates' Court in April.

Mr. Tucker went to the Police pound to pick up his car on the afternoon of New Year's Day. He says he reported the missing cash to Hamilton Police Station straight afterwards, but has not got it back. This week, he gave a statement to the Police complaints department.

"I'm not happy at all. I have a traffic record but I don't have a criminal record. I'm trying to support my family. I have kids in school overseas," explained Mr. Tucker who has four stepchildren aged seven to 18. "If I broke the law, then charge me, but don't take the little bit of money I have. It was New Year's Eve and I'm a hardworking man."

According to a Police spokesman: "Mr. Tucker's allegations are currently under investigation and therefore no further comment can be made at this time."

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