Double blow leaves tourists stranded

Romy Wild, Ilse Gansdorfer and Eva Engler lost valuable personal possessions. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Three European tourists cannot believe that their van was stolen during the Auckland rush-hour, found by police the next night, then stolen again.

Eva Engler and Romy Wild, from Germany, and Ilse Gansdorfer, from Austria, were dismayed to find the van missing after they had left it for just 40 minutes at 5pm in Hobson St on Tuesday while they went to a travel agent.

The 19-year-olds had arrived in New Zealand six weeks ago and bought the van in which they had travelled around Northland.

They could not believe it was not safe in broad daylight and rush-hour traffic outside an Auckland inner-city hotel.

Eva said they were even more stunned to get a phone call from the police to say they had found the van, only to get another call to say it had been stolen again. "There was no sorry or anything."

Police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty said police found the van just before 8pm in Elstree Ave, in Glen Innes, and a tow truck was called for a few minutes later.

The police took some youths who had been travelling in the van away for questioning.

At about 10pm the police were told by the tow company it was unable to find the van which now remained on the stolen list.

Ms Hegarty said police did not guard stolen vehicles unless they were part of a more serious case.

The van was not insured against theft and the women's travel cover only included medical problems. "We don't feel happy just travelling around, we are worried it will happen again," said Eva.