Escalating vandalism is frustrating volunteers at a Kerikeri op shop who say the cost of repairs means less money for ambulances and medical equipment.
The latest spate of vandalism at the St John op shop, at the corner of Cobham Rd and Hobson Ave, started in December when someone scratched a name into two large streetfront windows.
During the New Year break someone broke open the building's meter boxes and ripped out the electricity meter board; around the same time outdoor light sensors at the rear of the building were smashed. A few days after the sensors were replaced they were smashed again.
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Acting shop manger Terrie Flores said the ''very annoying'' vandalism was not new but it was escalating. The damage to the meter boxes was a serious inconvenience because it left the shop without power and Eftpos. It had also cut power to the business upstairs.