A licence plate stolen from a Dunedin vehicle has been used in a petrol drive-off in Christchurch.
A string of registration plate thefts sparked a warning from police last week.
Sergeant Steve Aitken, of Dunedin, confirmed six plates had been reported stolen over the last 10 days.
One of those had been used in a recent petrol drive-off in Christchurch.
Motorists were urged to check their plates and report any thefts, he said,A stolen plate would be registered with police number-plate recognition cameras ''to pick up any dodgy plates being used''.
Licence plates stolen in a spate of thefts several years ago were later used in petrol drive-offs, he said.
''It is a bit odd and certainly a bit random,'' he said.
The plates had been taken from vehicles parked in various areas of Dunedin.
Anyone with information was urged to contact Dunedin police on 471-4800, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555-111.
