Stolen wedding ring angers coach

THEFT: Paddy Rimene's wedding ring was stolen while he was training at Henley Lake. PHOTO/FILE

A Masterton coach is warning Henley Lake users to be wary of thieves after his wedding ring was stolen from his parked car.

Coach of the Wairarapa Waka Ama Canoe Club Paddy Rimene lost his wedding ring to thieves who grabbed it from his locked car on Saturday afternoon while he was training.

Mr Rimene said the gold band, a watch and clothing were stolen from his car which was parked near the boat shed between about 4.30pm and 5.45pm, with the thief using keys found in the shed to unlock the car.

"It's made it not really a trustworthy spot . . . a lot of people use it and the scary thing is I don't know if anyone has done it before.

"The annoying thing is someone has gone into the shed and found the key and got back out to the car. Usually there's a lot of people out there so whoever has done it has been quite confident."

The brazen theft meant club members and other people using the lake would have to be more cautious in the future, he said.

"It's not ideal but it is something that would be good if people realise not to take things for granted."

There were a lot of children in the club and members would have to be even more careful with the children's belongings when they were out on the water, he said.

During training, members normally left their keys in the shed, which was left unlocked but bolted on the outside as it was difficult to keep hold of keys when on the lake, Mr Rimene said.

The club would be tightening up on security and was considering installing a combination lock.

"We are going to have to really think about that ... that trust has gone."

Mr Rimene said he was unsure if his wedding ring, a symbol of a more than 20 years spent with his wife, would be covered by insurance.

His first wedding band had been stolen while he was swimming in the Waipoua River five years ago and the replacement ring, which was stolen on Saturday, had fallen into the lake several years ago, only to be found by his son's friend while swimming about a week later.

"It was pretty lucky, but obviously that luck has run out."

Senior Sergeant Mike Sutton confirmed police were investigating.

Anyone who might have seen anything suspicious should contact Masterton police or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.