The case of the disappearing sliding doors

Demolition 1 owner Ivan Yukich at work on a site in Hastings. His Awatoto yard was burgled twice over the weekend, and 14 new imported sliding doors and frames were among the property stolen. Photo / Warren Buckland

At least 14 new imported sliding doors and other items stolen from a demolition company’s yard near Napier appear to have slipped off the face of the earth with no trace four days after the thefts were reported.

Police said today (Wednesday) that none of the stolen property had been recovered.

Two burglaries were reported to have been committed at the Demolition 1 yard in Briasco St, Awatoto, overnight on Saturday and Sunday.

About half of the doors and frames were stolen in each burglary - the hot water cylinder was taken in the first, and more than 30 electrical sockets were also missing after the second raid, which happened early on Sunday morning.

One of the imported sliding doors stolen from the yard of Demolition 1 at Awatoto. Photo / Supplied

A separate Facebook post says other items taken included french doors, matai flooring, air conditioning units, and stainless steel sinks - “…but the sliding doors are the most identifiable.”

It says the doors are made from steel and UPCV and are the only ones of their type in New Zealand. Each weighs about 120 kilograms and is about two metres wide and two metres high.

“It takes a few people to lift these doors,” the post says. “A large truck or trailer was needed.”

Company owner Ivan Yukich, who was on holiday abroad at the time and returned home this week, said the sliding doors - imported new from China - are double-glazed and are distinct. Each one would have needed two people to do the lifting, and at least two truckloads would have been required for the removal.

He said there have been several burglaries in the area between Waitangi Rd and the railway line, and the word is out in search of the goods as police continue the investigation.

But he said: “It’s not just about us. It’s about the whole Awatoto area... It’s getting hit all the time.”

“I’ve been pretty lucky,” he said. “We have had the odd one in the past, but not of this scale. They targeted the higher-value stuff, and they were ruthless about the way they went about it.”