Rampaging Northland mob leave trail of thefts

Kerikeri Police Acting Sergeant Mark Roberts

An "idiotic" mob trying to get home after a night of drinking stole two cars, broke into 10 more, set a motorbike on fire and caused $20,000 damage to a school in Kerikeri.

The rampage occurred around the same time that a Dutch and a German tourist were punched and kicked to the ground by a man outside the BNZ bank in Kerikeri at about 12am yesterday.

Kerikeri Police Acting Sergeant Mark Roberts said the thefts by the mob occurred in the early hours of yesterday morning, all within about a 1km radius of each other, on residential streets in the centre of town.

Two cars were stolen, though one was discovered crashed near Okaihau, about 22km south-west of Kerikeri, yesterday morning. The other car, a silver Nissan Presea, remained missing.

"We've had a group of unknown males who have basically attempted to get into at least 12 cars to get their way home," Mr Roberts said.

It was unclear how many were in the mob but it was believed to have been up to 20 people, he said. There were no calls to police about the incidents at the time as residents only became aware of what happened when they woke up yesterday morning.

Many of the other cars broken into had their ignitions tampered with but when the cars would not start, the mob stole wallets, laptops and personal items. Some cars had been tagged with gang signs.

A motorbike stolen in Cobham Court was set on fire and found about 30m from where it was stolen.

Yesterday afternoon, police were still assessing the full extent of the mob's rampage throughout the area.

"It's just mental, idiotic behaviour by a minority of people that give the town a bad name," Mr Roberts said.

The same group was believed to have been responsible for breaking eight windows at Kerikeri High School, which would cost about $20,000 to replace.

It was too early to estimate the total cost of the damage caused by the mob but was clearly "thousands and thousands" of dollars, Mr Roberts said.

Police planned to speak to a man yesterday whom they believed was responsible for an assault on two tourists.

Two locals stepped in to help the tourists during the ordeal outside BNZ bank in Kerikeri at about 12am on Sunday but were assaulted also, Mr Roberts said.

The alleged offender was known to police and had been with three associates at the time of the attack. It was unclear whether the tourists needed medical attention.

Police were viewing CCTV footage to identify those in the mob and were making further enquiries.

Members of the public who may have witnessed any thefts or suspicious behaviour in Kerikeri on Sunday morning are asked to contact Kerikeri Police on 09-4079211 or, if they want to remain anonymous, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.