Thieves stealing bolts from Coastal Walkway stairs are putting the public at risk

Light-fingered thieves are putting the safety of the public at risk.

New Plymouth District Council staff noticed that 12 heavy-duty stainless steel bolts had been stolen from a set of stairs near the Coastal Walkway recently.

District council manager parks and open spaces Stuart Robertson says the missing bolts were quickly replaced, but their theft is concerning.

"It's pretty obvious that the bolts are needed to keep the stairs safe to use. We're fortunate that the stairs did not fail and that no one was hurt. We've also had bolts taken from a fence recently."

Stuart says people should ring the council immediately if they notice anyone messing with public structure who isn't wearing branded council clothing or is not a recognised contractor.

This theft follows news of a rise in stealing from construction sites nationwide, with various building materials being taken including timber, plasterboard, copper and fuel.

Much of the cost of repairing vandalism is factored into the council's day-to-day maintenance budgets.

However, in the 2020-21 financial year, the council spent more than $44,000 repairing damaged buildings and almost $60,000 removing graffiti.