'Not sure I can go through the fight': Tauranga man could lose 30-year-old business after huge theft

Tools that were among those stolen from a Tauranga man's workshop during lockdown. Photo / Supplied

A Tauranga man is unsure he can reopen his business after thieves cleared out his workshop of thousands of dollars of equipment.

Dennis James came to work on Tuesday to find his padlocked workshop a mess.

Tool cabinets had been ripped off the walls and large machinery had been taken by brazen thieves over the lockdown.

When he found what had happened, he said he just "went cold".

James, who was not insured, had owned the business for 30 years, doing engineering and plastics manufacturing in Tauranga.

Tools that were among those stolen from a Tauranga man's workshop during lockdown. Photo / Supplied

He did not want to name the business as he was afraid of being targetted again.

Thieves stole specialised tools and equipment that were "no good to anyone else" that he had acquired over the past 30 years.

He believed the people who took the machinery must have had a trailer to carry a large amount of equipment away.

He said they also knew what they were doing as they made sure to leave any items that were traceable.

James said the theft of his welder was a major blow because raising the near $6000 for a new one might not be possible.

A tool cabinet like this was also stolen. Photo / Supplied

"I don't know what this means for my business now... I'm just not sure I can go through the fight to try and replace my things,

"I'm not a young man, I don't think it's going to be worth buying all new kit."

He said he was "really upset" and had "lost his forward momentum".

He said another concern he had about reopening shop was that his clients may not trust his security to leave their things with him.

"I feel vulnerable and insecure that I can't hold on to my belongings... I'm definitely reluctant to go away again."

James said he would look into installing CCTV at the premises if he was to reopen, but it was uncertain at the moment.

A police spokeswoman said the incident had been reported to police and investigations were underway.

She said burglaries across the Bay of Plenty saw a decrease over Alert Level 4 with regional police doing visibility patrols in commercial areas as a deterrent to criminal activity.

She said there was an expectation that there could be a rise in reports of commercial burglaries when restrictions eased and owners of commercial properties were able to return to their premises.

However, she said there had been no spike in commercial burglary reports in Bay of Plenty since the move to Alert Level 3.