Thousands of dollars of gear stolen from loved community group

The band with some of the gear taken. Photo / Supplied

A $1000 reward has been posted for the safe return of the Te Puke Country Music Club's gear that was stolen last week.

The gear, valued at more than $15,000, was stolen out of a shed and trailer on No 1 Rd in Te Puke in the early hours of last Wednesday morning.

The Te Puke Country Music Club is a non-profit organisation that books gigs to raise money for the local community.

Ex-president and patron of the club Geoff Mutton said the theft was "real heartbreaking" as the club had "done a lot for this town."

He said his shed and trailer had been left a total mess after the break-in and he felt a sense of responsibility as it had been padlocked on his property.

The gear taken would have been worth between $15,000 to $20,000, he said.

A portion of the gear stolen. Photo / Supplied

The items taken included brand new speakers, drums, microphones, leads, guitars and amps.

He said there was a $1000 reward for leads that result in the safe return of the gear. The band had fundraised for years to get the gear but had also raised thousands for the local community over the years with their concerts.

"We are so brassed off.. and just extremely upset."

The break-in came only days before the club's 36th birthday party last Sunday, which the band had planned a big concert for.

Although disheartened, they managed to still put on a small show with borrowed gear, he said.

He said if any good had come from the robbery, it was the kindness of the community who had reached out to help. Offers from all over the country had come in from various music lovers to get the band back on their feet, he said.

The club's Facebook page put up a post with all the information, which has had more than 700 shares and was flooded with comments of upset locals.

A police spokeswoman said officers did receive a report of a burglary on Wednesday from an address on No 1 Rd in Te Puke.

She said a number of items were allegedly stolen.