Looting makes bad news worse for flood evacuees

1.45pm

Looters have made bad news worse for some residents returning to homes they had evacuated because of flooding in the past three days.

Yesterday incidents of looting were reported in two of the worst struck areas - Feilding, in Manawatu, and Picton in the Marlborough Sounds.

Feilding woman Ros Davies said when she and her daughter Emma returned to their home on Monday to get some personal items her daughter disturbed two boys aged about 14 or 15 looting her house.

"I can cope with all this stuff (flooding)," she said.

"But this. I just about lost it."

Mrs Davies said she had stacked up items before they evacuated the house early on Monday in the sure knowledge the water would rise.

The house contents had been rearranged by the two looters.

"Everything was tipped upside down, all my drawers pulled out and scattered, handbags up-ended," Mrs Davies said.

Missing were a dozen bottles of wine, a treasured gold watch that was a gift from Mrs Davies' family, and the stereo from her waterlogged car, parked in the garage.

The Davies home is among Feilding's hardest hit by the floods. The house has been heavily silted and was sitting in deeper, more backed-up water than most.

Sergeant Chris Whitmore said police had a strong line of inquiry on the offence.

"This is a burglary inquiry. We investigate burglaries all the time."

Mayor Ian McKelvie's reaction was one of concern for the offenders, given the huge community effort being put into recovery from the flood disaster.

"I really wouldn't like to be either of these two if they're identified -- or their parents," he said.

In Picton, Auckland man Bill Peters, who was forced to flee Alexanders Holiday Park after a sudden deluge flooded the area yesterday morning said he returned to the camp to find his possessions looted.

"They've looted the whole area. They've taken my cameras, all my camera gear is gone, binoculars, they were even trying to cart away pots and pans," he told National Radio.

He said the looting had left an extremely sour taste.

The camp's owner John Newman said some campers had witnessed the looting and it had been reported to police. He would not comment further.

Picton police could not be contacted this morning.

- NZPA