Vandals run up $1000 repair bill

The damage included this toppled stop sign on the corner of Kerikeri Inlet Rd and Wharau Rd. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Ratepayers will have to stump up $1000 to clean and repair road signs trashed after a Kerikeri birthday party.

Seven road signs in the Inlet Rd/Wharau Rd area were spraypainted with birthday greetings and obscene symbols, three were knocked over, and one was snapped following the September 28 party.

One of the hosts, an 18-year-old girl, reported the damage to police and offered to clean the signs herself if the offenders did not own up. She was disappointed some of her "so-called friends" had spoiled what was otherwise a well-supervised party.

An Inlet Rd resident fed up with vandalism in the area has offered a $100 reward for information about the offenders. The latest damage included a stop sign, give way sign and corner chevrons, putting drivers unfamiliar with the road in danger, he said.

Far North District Council spokesman Richard Edmondson said contractors cleaned and re-erected the signs last week, estimating the work would cost about $1000. Replacing the signs would have cost over $2000.

Council engineers said it was fortunate the damage was reported quickly and contractors were able to remove graffiti before the paint hardened. A delay would have increased the cost of cleaning the signs.

A broken stop sign had been replaced and given a concrete foundation after a similar attack a few months earlier.

Road sign vandalism and theft was an ongoing problem in the Far North, Mr Edmondson said.

A spot survey a few years ago found that, at any one time, road signs worth $20,000 were missing or damaged. The annual cost of repairing signs averaged almost $100,000, he said. The cost is borne by ratepayers.

Senior Sergeant Chris McLellan urged people to contact police beforehand if they were planning a celebration, so they could help keep hosts and guests safe. The aftermath of the Kerikeri party had left "some pretty embarrassed people," he said.