DEALER WAS 14

Queenstown: Public shock over a 12-year-old boy supplying drugs in the
Queenstown area has been slightly lessened with the news he was actually 14.

Otago rural area controller Inspector Phil Jones, of Queenstown, said the
age mistake was made by a staff member.

It was "probably not quite as bad" that the boy was older than at first
thought, but "is definitely a concern", he said.

Wakatipu High School principal Kevin Orlowski included an explanation from
Insp Jones about the boy in the high school's weekly newsletter yesterday.

The boy attended the school for two months at the end of 2001, about the
time of the incident, which happened outside school hours.

The boy had subsequently left the area, Insp Jones said.

Mr Orlowski said he included the information in the newsletter to correct
the error.