Rodney Local Board candidate Tessa Berger's surprise: Admirers steal hot property

A 21-year-old local government contender has offered to reserve her hoarding signs for admirers, to stop them being stolen as "souvenirs".

Tessa Berger, a candidate for the Rodney Local Board in north Auckland, was surprised to find her election sign, which stands among a group of other council and local board hopefuls in Matakana, was the only one that had been taken.

Supporters informed Berger on the weekend that her sign had been ripped off its backboard, leaving only a small screwed-in strip.

But Berger didn't believe the theft was malicious.

"They are definitely not bad looking signs. They are fresh and something a bit different.

"So I wouldn't be surprised if they have taken one down and taken it home as a souvenir," said Berger.

Berger, who offered to sell a limited number of smaller signs on social media last week, is now taking orders for the small and larger versions, because of popular demand.

"I'll happily reserve them for people until after the election as a way to say a massive thanks to all of my supporters."

The candidate said she would hand-deliver them to voters as her campaign relied on grassroots support as opposed to "a big budget".

The sign at Matakana has now been replaced.