Warning after spate of rural firearm thefts

The call comes after four shotguns were stolen from a residential Ruawai property between Sunday and Monday.

Firearms licence holders living in rural areas have been warned by police to review their security in the wake of a spate of firearms and ammunition thefts over the weekend.

The call comes after four shotguns were stolen from a residential Ruawai property between Sunday and Monday.

The firearms were brand new and were not stored securely.

Earlier in the weekend, three firearms and ammunition were stolen from a gun-safe in a garage at a residential Ruatangata West property and two air rifles were stolen from a Mangawhai property.

The air rifles had been stored behind an office door.

Investigations are underway into each of the burglaries and it is not yet known whether they are linked.

Prevention manager senior sergeant John Fagan of the Whangarei/Kaipara Police said anyone with a firearms licence is required to store them securely.

"As well as the obvious concerns about unsecured firearms being stolen by criminals, if license holders fail to secure them they run the risk of having their licence revoked," he said.

"Living in a rural and remote area does not unfortunately make you immune to theft or burglary."

Police are also investigating the theft of six quad bikes from a rural property in Pouto over the long weekend.

They have asked for anyone with information on the burglaries to come forward.