Real-life Grinches wreck Kerikeri's Christmas tree

This CCTV footage shows one of the youths who allegedly spent an hour from 2.15am on Monday trying to steal, then vandalising, the lights. The clip also shows the tree before it was damaged.

Real-life Grinches have tried to steal Christmas by wrecking Kerikeri's Christmas tree and making off with the lights.

The tree, which is located outside the surf shop on the town's main shopping street, was vandalised between 2.15am and 3.15am on Monday.

CCTV footage shows three youths initially attempting to remove the lights.

When they became frustrated after about an hour they instead started destroying the lights and prising open the tree's base to steal the programmable light controllers.

The controllers are operated by a phone app and can't be used for anything else.

The tree was put up by community group Our Kerikeri to bring some Christmas spirit to the town after the parade and street party had to be cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.

A sign calling for information has been placed on the vandalised Christmas tree. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Our Kerikeri chairwoman Annika Dickey said the damage was frustrating and a waste of money raised and donated by the community.

The replacement cost of the lights and controllers was about $1400, she said.

The group was going through CCTV footage from several businesses in a bid to identify the offenders.

She urged anyone with information about the incident, or who recognised the youth captured on CCTV, to call her on 021 240 7720 or police on 105.