Beloved Buddha statues burgled from two Napier homes

Carlene Campbell, from Napier, with a photo of her concrete Buddha statue that was stolen. Photo / Paul Taylor

Two burglary victims are hoping karma catches up with thieves who took their beloved Buddha statues.

On Thursday two Buddha statues were taken from the back door of a house near Nelson Park School and overnight on Friday another was taken from the front garden of a property near Maraenui Golf Club.

Carlene Campbell, whose large concrete statue was taken on Friday night, said she was upset the statue had been stolen because it had sentimental value but also because it made her feel uneasy.

"It's not a nice feeling, I've started to feel slightly insecure.

"What else have they had a look at?

"I'm just annoyed that someone felt it was okay to come onto the property and take something."

Campbell recently moved to Napier from Auckland and it took three men to lift the statue into position in her new front garden.

"He is solid concrete so it would have taken a couple of burly blokes to take him."

The metre-high Buddha was worth about $900 and had been sitting serenely in her former, bushy Titirangi garden for five years without incident.

He even featured in her wedding photos.

Campbell has reported the burglary to police and is hopeful the thief or thieves is caught.

"I just hope it doesn't happen to anyone else."

The other victim, who did not want to be named, said she was devastated when her two Buddha statues were taken from outside her back door also near Nelson Park School.

"I came home from work and they were gone.

"I'm really upset, they were both gifts."

She also said the fact someone had come onto her property made her feel very unsafe.

"I just think it's disgusting.

"It's terrible that people go and steal something like this."

One of the statues was dark, brown ceramic and a metre high, and the other was a stone grey bust of a Buddha which was about 50cm tall.

"I would love to have them back but I can't see that happening."