Car crashes into shop, items stolen on Tutanekai St in Rotorua

The owner of a Rotorua computer store ram-raided overnight has described the incident as a "total nightmare".

The front door and windows of The PC Hutt on Tutanekai St were smashed by a vehicle about 3.30am.

A police media spokeswoman said the driver left the scene.

Police at the scene on Tutanekai St this morning. Photo / Ben Fraser

She said, at this early stage there was no indication whether anything was stolen from the property.

Police have set up a cordon outside the shop. Photo / David Beck

However, The PC Hutt owner, who preferred not to be named, said thieves had smashed multiple displays in the store and taken many phones, iPads and speakers.

"We got a call around 3.15am," he said.

"It was really a nightmare. You feel that Rotorua is safe, but not anymore these days. It is scary."

The owner and his wife moved to Rotorua from India about six years ago, choosing New Zealand because it had a reputation as a safe country to live in.

They were now beginning to question that.

Police at the scene on Tutanekai St this morning. Photo / Ben Fraser

"You feel that New Zealand is the safest and Rotorua is really safe and when we came here six years ago we felt that," he said.

"But now it is a nightmare and at Christmas time especially we don't expect these things. These things are so disheartening."

He said police were on scene collecting finger prints and reviewing CCTV footage of the incident.

A reporter at the scene said the front door and windows of The PC Hutt were smashed.

Police were still on the scene and a cordon had been set up around the shop, he said.

More to come.