Apparent ram raids hit Rebel Sport Whakatāne and Kopuriki General Store

Damage at Rebel Sport Whakatāne. Photo / Katee Shanks

Rebel Sport Whakatāne has been damaged and burgled overnight in what police believe was a ram raid.

A police spokeswoman said a report came through at 4.25am of "a car having driven through the window of a retailer on Phoenix Drive, Whakatāne, and the property was burgled".

"Police attended but the offenders had already left the scene. Inquiries into the incident are ongoing."

Damage at Rebel Sport Whakatāne. Photo / Katee Shanks

A Rotorua Daily Post reporter at the scene shortly before 9am this morning said "staff were cleaning broken glass and water from the front of the store".

"They said the door was shunted forward and fell on a free standing basketball hoop that had water in the base."

Rebel Sport's head office has been approached for comment.

Earlier, at 1.40am, police received a report that a car had crashed into the Kopuriki General Store, 60km away on Kopuriki Rd near Galatea.

"No one was with the car but cash had been stolen. Inquiries are ongoing," a police spokeswoman said.

Owner Dally Singh said it was disappointing news to wake up to.

"They took the teller machine, with $200 cash in it, and damaged two doors. One was a sliding door. And they put everything on the ground."

Singh had owned the rural shop for six years and said there had not been a raid before.

"Security were there within ten minutes but the offenders were gone."

He said police had been at the shop this morning checking the security camera footage.

"We are just cleaning up now and hoping to reopen by midday."