Police call for support with stolen vehicles

Photo / File

A spate of thefts involving light and heavy vehicles around North Otago and South Canterbury has the Oamaru police calling on the transport sector to help solve the crime.

Over a period of about three weeks, between February 1 and 20, six heavy motor vehicles and seven light vehicles have been taken from transport yards or rural and semi-rural properties in the area.

Detective Sergeant Dan Keno said he believed the thefts were linked.

"The theft of these types of vehicles is rare," he said.

"It's occurring overnight between midnight and 7am, and not occurring on any particular days of the week."

Vehicles with keys left in the ignition or left somewhere in the vehicle are being targeted.

"Police appeal to all drivers who travel overnight on the roads in and around North Otago and South Canterbury overnight to keep an eye out for anything suspicious or heavy or light vehicles being driven in a poor manner," Mr Keno said.

People driving overnight in North Otago or South Canterbury need to report: Any HMV being driven poorly, for example with crunching gears, erratic driving or curb-hopping corners with trailer wheels, or any HMV that doesn't appear to be in the right place at the right time such as fertiliser spreaders travelling in the middle of the night, builder's trucks travelling at night and farmer's trucks travelling at night.

- Oamaru Mail