“They had dug the whole thing up,” he said.
Roughan said the honesty box was for non-members to put $10-$20, depending on how many were playing and for how long.
The gaping hole left behind after the theft of the honesty box at the Campbells Bay Tennis club. Photo / Supplied He said the box had not been cleared since before Christmas and could have contained a few hundred dollars by the time it was taken.
“It’s shocked us all a bit,” said Roughan.
“We’re all a bit nonplussed, and wondering who it was, and how it happened.”
He said they were told by police there was not much that could be done.
“They had dug the whole thing up,”
Club secretary John Roughan “We probably won’t replace the honesty box, we’ll go now to a fully electronic, fully online system of paying for casual court hire.”
Roughan said they were wanting to improve the security of the park around the tennis club.
He said they had been told by Auckland Council it was the club’s responsibility to look after security of the building as the lessee.
“We’ve got to improve the security for the park in general, make sure people can’t drive vehicles in there later than they’re allowed to.
“We’re quite concerned that we’re going to get a far more serious break-in unless something is done,” said Roughan.
“Sports clubs, tennis clubs, are not rich,
“They exist hand to mouth pretty much, so we miss the contributions we can get from casual players.”
Police have been approached for comment.
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