Police warn of Christmas robberies as thefts begin

After several reported thefts in the past week, police are now warning the public to lock their doors and keep gifts out of plain view. Photo / Thinkstock

Police are warning people to lock their doors after a Christmas hamper was stolen from under the tree at a Hamilton house.

On Sunday morning, a man was woken by the sounds of people in the living room of his Fairview Downs home.

He was confronted by two men whom he chased out of the house and down the street.

The pair escaped into the dark but not before they made off with a hamper and an assortment of other Christmas presents.

Police said the man had left the sliding door unlocked so that his partner, who was out, could get back in.

"While a person has every right to expect to be safe in their home, unfortunately burglars don't subscribe to the same levels of decency and prey on the rest of the community.

"Had the victims invested $5 dollars on a spare key and locked the door - they could have prevented themselves from being victims in the first place."

And this wasn't the only incident of Christmas tree theft over the weekend.

Thieves forced their way into a home at Waihi Beach on Saturday where they stole two Christmas presents.

"In this case the bach was locked. The thieves forced entry via a window and made off with a television and two Christmas presents including a child's remote controlled helicopter," Grace said.

While the theft of children's presents is viewed by police as a particularly callous crime, police are warning the public not to leave gifts in plain view, she said.