Charity's storage rack stolen

Saint Vincent de Paul storage co-ordinator Lorna Edlin and president Tony Rogers are horrified a donated storage system was stolen from the charity. Photo / Andrew Warner

A local Tauranga charity has been left "horrified" after a $10,000 industrial storage system was stolen from outside its storage shed just days after it had been donated.

Saint Vincent de Paul storage co-ordinator Lorna Edlin said she had returned to the storage shed to find the packaged storage system had disappeared.

Ms Edlin said she suspected the system was taken last weekend, in a "well executed" job, because a forklift and truck crane system was needed to deliver it.

"It's just gutting. We're a charity, we can't replace that," Ms Edlin said.

The storage system was intended to make the volunteers' job at Saint Vincent de Paul a lot easier.

Ms Edlin took to social media, called scrap metal dealers and notified the police but has had no luck tracking down the donated item.

"It would have made a huge difference, we just want it back," Ms Edlin said. "Do they realise they stole it from a charity?"

Mouats Engineering general manager Neil Miller donated the industrial storage racking, worth between $8000 to $10,000, to the charity.

"It's a scummy thing to do," Mr Miller said. "It's just not right. It makes it even more sad when it's a non-for-profit organisation trying to do good."

President of Tauranga Saint Vincent de Paul Tony Rogers said he was annoyed and disappointed someone would take an item of such a large size from a charity.

"It would have made a real difference by providing valuable storage," Mr Rogers said.

The industrial storage racking would have enabled the charity to store donated items more effectively.

"Our job of helping disadvantaged people in the community has been made that much harder," he said.

Ms Edlin said she did not want any repercussions for the people who took the storage system as long as it was returned.

"Industry racking is horrifyingly expensive, we won't get the opportunity to get it again," she said.

Saint Vincent de Paul believed it would be unable to claim insurance on the item because it was donated.

The New Zealand Insurance Council advised there was not an overall policy on donated goods.