Salvation Army foodbank ransacked

Photo / APN

Thieves have broken in and cleaned out a Salvation Army foodbank - but it appears they were unnerved during the burglary by gently-chiding words of scripture.

Tokoroa Salvation Army envoy Rob Raven said he arrived at the premises last weekend to find the foodbank and community house ransacked.

"I came in at 11am and found two broken windows. I went inside and saw a door had been kicked in. Two computers and other bits and pieces worth about $4000 were taken from the community house and about $500 worth of food was taken from the food bank," he said.

The thieves had removed a wall hanging and placed it face down on a chair. It read: "God is my salvation. I will trust, and will not be afraid for the Lord is my strength and has become my salvation."

Raven said: "So I wonder if their conscience was working there."

He would forgive the people responsible.

"I believe nobody is beyond help. We wouldn't be running them out of town, we would be sitting them down to see what is happening with them."