School van used to ram raid local Waikato dairy

A stolen school van was used to ram raid the Waihou Dairy & Takeaways in the early hours of this morning. Photo / Google

Brazen robbers drove a stolen school van into a dairy in the early hours of this morning - the worst break-in a Waikato shop owner says he's had in seven years.

The 12-seater van belonging to nearby kura Te Wharekura o Te Rau Aroha was used to crash through the Waihou Dairy and Takeaway on SH26.

A police spokesperson said police were called to the ram raid at 4am after a vehicle had been used to gain access to the commercial premises and steal cigarettes.

Manish Kumar from the Waihou Dairy and Takeaway said the ram raid was the worst incident he has seen in his seven years at the business.

The robbers had left significant damage after reversing the van into the front of the shop.

The white sign written van was parked outside Te Wharekura o Te Rau Aroha principal Mokoro Gillett's house in Waharoa and is used to transport some students to school.

The Herald understands it was then abandoned at the nearby airfield.

Gillett said he didn't know much more about it as the police were now dealing with it, but said the keys may have been left inside the van.

The school had several vans so had they were still able to get students to school this morning. "It didn't effect us to the extent that we had to not pick up children."

Police are still making enquiries to locate those responsible.

Business owners around the country - including Waikato and Auckland - are growing increasingly frustrated with thieves ram raiding their stores.

Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate told the Herald last month that the council was in the early stages of working with Waikato Police area commander inspector Andrea McBeth, as well as Waikato-Tainui and the University of Waikato to look at tackling crime prevention and how all those efforts from various organisations in the community could be better co-ordinated in a bid to reduce some of the crime. Tackling the growing number of ram raids and burglaries was high on the list, she said.