Crime scene: Garden ornaments targeted in Matakana

The township of Matakana lost some of its charm after a crime spree on Saturday, January 24.

Garden ornaments were the target, including a water feature taken from the front lawn of the Matakana Motel, and a sculpture from a neighbouring property.

The next victim was Tumbleweeds Coastal Plants, where several large sculptures and planter boxes were taken. The items had to be carted from the yard, out into the road, over a locked gate and into a car parked in a nearby driveway. The ornaments, of carved Oamaru stone, vary in height from 0.3m to 1.2m and are worth more than $10,000 in total.

Police would like to learn the whereabouts of the items, and details of a white Ford sedan in the vicinity at the time. Phone Warkworth police on (09) 425-0827.