Vigilance needed to stop farm raids, say police

Police have urged farmers to tighten security against rustlers in the central North Island.

In the past few weeks farmers have lost stock to thieves - and are a loss to know what to do about the problem.

Upper Atiamuri, Taupo, dairy farmer Roger Porteous was shocked to find thieves had broken into a piggery and slaughtered and removed one of his animals, leaving a trail of offal and blood.

"Now I'm worried about my other stock.

"This is disgusting ... it's a damned cheek to come on to a farm and help yourself to something that doesn't belong to you."

Mr Porteous said there was little farmers could do to tighten security.

"We work for what we have got and it's shocking to think we have to barricade things up.

"The idea of farming is the freedom you have and the last thing we want to do is make our piggery like a prison."

A Bay of Plenty lifestyle block owner took out a newspaper advertisement in Rotorua earlier this week warning people not to eat the five sheep recently stolen from her land.

The sheep had been drenched and were not fit for human consumption, she said.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said she was improving security on her land.

"I was absolutely gutted to find these low-lifes had done this. These were our children's pets. If someone needed food they could have gone to Winz for help or to a food bank. They didn't have to come and flog our sheep."

A farmer from Mamaku, 20km northwest of Rotorua, also placed an advertisement offering a reward for information leading to the conviction of the thief or thieves who stole pigs from his farm.

He did not wish to speak about the incidents, saying "Mamaku justice" would prevail.

Senior Sergeant Mark Loper, of Rotorua police, said farmers should tighten security and note any unusual vehicles near their properties.

Convicted stock rustlers face three months' jail or a maximum fine of $5000.

- NZPA