Meeanee Playgroup chairwoman Vickilee Flynn with some of the parents and the children who the shade sails were stolen from. Photo / Paul Taylor
Thieves have stolen two shade sails and attempted a break-in at Meeanee Playgroup overnight Monday.
Attendees of the playgroup on Tuesday morning noticed the shade sails missing and damage from where the culprits tried to pry open the shed of play equipment for the children.
Meeanee Playgroup chairwoman Vickilee Flynn said this is the second time shade sails have been stolen from the playgroup in the space of two years.
"Just before lockdown in 2020, the same thing happened to us."
She said it was devastating for the group, especially as they were a community-based not-for-profit organisation.
"It's a pretty big blow to our community because they are pretty expensive to replace."
She said while they had insurance, it didn't cover theft because the group was unable to afford it.
She said after the last shade sails were stolen, they had chained up and bolted these ones, but the thieves had simply cut the straps of the shade sails.
"What is more frustrating is that the shade sails are there to protect the children. They're effectively stealing off the children"
She said they knew from footage from the nearby Meeanee School cameras that the shade sails were stolen off the premises by two men near midnight.
"What was even more scary was I was down there last night for a working bee and I left probably about quarter to 11.
"A little bit unnerving to think that when you were down there they could have been watching."
She said after the first shade sail theft in 2020, she found out from police they were often stolen to hide outdoor cannabis crops from aerial view.
"The weekend ours got stolen [in 2020], Ravensdown had theirs [shade sails] stolen too."
She said they were now looking at advice to possibly make a permanent structure as a replacement.
Napier RSA's boss says the trailer was empty and was used mainly for dump runs.