Hutt Valley Police warn tradies to secure building sites overnight

Police arrested two men yesterday in relation to the crime spree. Photo / File

Hutt Valley Police is advising tradespeople to beef up building site security after a recent spate of construction site burglaries and thefts.

Police arrested two 39-year-old men yesterday in relation to the crime spree, after multiple thefts and burglaries were committed at sites in Wainuiomata and Lower Hutt.

Both are due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court today.

One of the men faces charges of receiving stolen property and possession of cannabis for supply, while the other is charged with burglary and cultivating cannabis.

"We thank Hutt Valley tradies and other members of the construction industry for their information and support in this investigation," Detective Sergeant Richard Orr said in a statement.

Inquiries are continuing into other similar burglaries and thefts in the area. Police are asking anyone with information about these incidents to please call 105 quoting file number 220523/1407 or call anonymously via Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Orr is advising tradies to put some form of unique marking on materials stored at building sites.

"This will assist with identifying products if they are stolen and may even prevent the items being stolen in the first place," he said.

Also, all efforts should be made to secure building sites overnight, as this is when most offending occurs, Detective Sergeant Richard Orr says.

One notable example of this happened in May when an excavator was taken from a Wainuiomata building site and used to ram raid the nearby BP petrol station.

One man was arrested and charged in relation to that incident.

An excavator was taken from a building site in Wainuiomata and used to ram raid a nearby BP station in May. Photo / Melissa Nightingale