Taggers target car in unlocked garage

A Masterton family were left less than impressed at the artistic efforts of taggers who brazenly attacked a hatchback in their unlocked garage at the weekend.

Totara St residents Andrew Morahan and Wendy Gabell returned from visiting family in the South Island on Saturday night to find "FTP" and "YEH" scrawled across their Ford Fiesta in red paint taken from their garage.

The vandals also attacked a back door of the house, which was first noticed when the couple's daughter and partner arrived back from watching the All Blacks test.

A young relative of the family had been in the house during the time it happened, but did not hear any noise or see the driveway sensor lights come on.

"He was on the computer and had the volume turned right up, so mustn't have been able to hear anything above it," Ms Gabell said.

Unfortunately, their dog Molly had travelled out of town with them and wasn't home to sound the alert.

Their daughter texted them the bad news a few hours before they arrived back home at midnight.

"They didn't take anything else and could have done a lot more damage, but it was just really cheeky, we thought - especially as there was someone inside at the time," Ms Gabell said.

"It was a good lesson to lock up your garage."

Fortunately, the spray paint was water-based and could be removed without involving the insurers.

Despite its being the second break-in to their home in two years - the first being the theft of a bicycle a year ago - the couple said Totara St was a quiet street.

It was one of a trio of weekend incidents being investigated by Masterton police.

A compound hunting bow, petrol-powered generator, leather jacket and watch were taken from a Tay Place address on Friday night.

On Sunday night, a laptop computer and other items were taken from the High St offices of truck-driving training providers AMS Group.

- APN