The beach was re-opened later in the morning.
"There was obviously risk of other things being taken," Mr Litton said.
No arrests had been made but the number plates of the vehicles the looters fled in were recorded.
Waikato police communications Andrew McAlley said the thefts were concerning because the Rena response team had still not been able to locate all of the containers with dangerous cargo.
"The key thing is to report containers that might have washed up and steer clear of them," Mr McAlley said.
"We are urging people to stay away."
The property remained that of the insurers and the owners, Mr McAlley said.
Thousands of bags of milk powder, slabs of timber and smashed bits of polystyrene washed up on Waihi Beach.
About 40 people were gathered at an area known as Island View, among them local woman Clodagh Kendal who heard morning media reports about the containers washing up and headed straight for the beach.
"It was disappointing, but great that it wasn't oil. If the containers land on the beach they can be retrieved," she said.
"We certainly don't want any on the rocks or at Orokawa Bay. That's just a pristine beautiful place."
Mrs Kendal said she felt for holiday makers who had scarcely seen the sun and then woke yesterday to find the beach closed.
"It's not fair, the holiday makers who are paying money to rent places. They've had a shocking summer," she said.
Wellington couple Sandra and Bruce Troughton and their children had enjoyed a walk on the beach about 8pm on Sunday and saw no sign of the littered mess they woke to yesterday.
"It was stormy but there was no sign of that. We were really surprised," Mrs Troughton said.
The family was halfway though a two-week holiday and had enjoyed some good days on the beach.
"We're here for another week so we're not too worried," she said.
Meanwhile, business was booming at Flat White Beachfront Cafe as the crowds of onlookers stopped for a coffee or bite to eat.
Chef Cathy Wright had been keeping a close eye on the beach.
"I've been container-spotting since this morning. It's quite exciting, something a bit different. I'm just glad that it wasn't all the oil. We're really lucky when the oil did first come off the Rena it didn't actually come up this far," she said.
Ms Wright also felt for holiday makers.
"It's just sad that it's the first summer day," she said.
A team of volunteers from Newmont Mine sprung into action yesterday morning sending about 30 staff to help with the clean-up.
Mark Rehutai was among them and said a short meeting at the gold mine in Waihi that morning had lead to the team being dispatched.
"This is our playground," he said, while taking a well-earned break with workmate Jason Billie.
He and Mr Billie said the clean-up had not been too bad, with most of the bags of milk powder remaining intact.
"Just the ones that were down by the rocks, they seem to have demolished them quite well," he said.
Waihi Beach resident and life member of the local surf lifesaving club Ian Robinson said he had never seen anything like it in his 77 years.
Mr Robinson goes for a run along the beach every morning but yesterday was dodging hundreds of bags of milk powder.
"The sea was huge. It's very, very rough with three and a half to four metre surf breaking up and pushing them [containers] pretty hard," he said early yesterday.
"It's a real mess. The beach is littered with bags. More than half of Waihi Beach all along the beach is covered.
"There are containers floating just south of the club. You can see just the tip of it every now and then."
