Vandals demolish historic headstones

Cemetery manager Daniel Sales says some headstones are beyond repair. Photo / Richard Robinson

Vandals caused more than $300,000 of damage as they smashed historic gravestones at one of Auckland's main cemeteries at the weekend.

Neighbours told police large numbers of young people entered the site late on Saturday evening and smashed 87 gravestones in the southeastern section of Waikumete Cemetery, in the West Auckland suburb of Glen Eden.

"Iron railings used to adorn old graves were used to smash these invaluable headstones - some of which are very intricate and likely to be beyond repair," cemetery manager Daniel Sales said.

"Signs, roading areas and plaques have also been damaged and will add considerably to the clean-up costs."

Auckland Council staff are working with police to find ways of preventing more vandalism.

"It's being treated seriously and a team of police investigators has been assigned to a number of lines of inquiry," Waitakere police commander Inspector Gary Davey said.

"We extend our support and sympathy to those who are victims of this vandalism."

Auckland councillor Sandra Coney said it was important that the cemetery remained a safe and valued place which celebrated the history of Auckland.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown said he was appalled by the vandalism.

"This attack is an outrage, and I appeal to the community to work with the police to bring those responsible to justice and to ensure this kind of vandalism does not occur again."

Waikumete Cemetery includes a mass grave for victims of the Erebus plane disaster in 1979, a mass grave for victims of the 1918 influenza epidemic and a Holocaust memorial.

It is the only cemetery in greater Auckland to provide for burial services for Jewish people, and one of two to provide for Muslim burials.

- NZPA