Mornington business owners are angry after seven premises were targeted by a thief on one night.
Inspector Amelia Steel, of Dunedin, said several thousand dollars were stolen from the Dunedin businesses in a spate of ''potentially linked'' burglaries.
Several bags of $2 coins were stolen from the Mornington Tavern in Mailer St and businesses needed to watch for anyone with a large number of the coins, Insp Steel said.
Mornington Tavern owner David ''Murdoch'' Miskimmin said he was angry his tavern had been targeted.
The alarms were triggered at 2.48am on Saturday when a man jemmied the door at Abbots Function Room below the tavern, he said.
The door lock was ''wrenched out'' and the man found a bag, filled it with bourbon but left it at the jemmied door.
The man walked upstairs and unknowingly locked himself in the bar when he went through a self-locking door, Mr Miskimmin said.
The man found the keys for poker machines and emptied coin-holders.
After discovering he was locked in, he left through a window. He dropped a plastic bag of coins in the gutter and gateway.
Mr Miskimmin said he believed the man was spooked by security company staff, he said.
Security at the tavern will now be beefed up.
''It has shown there's flaws in our system and we are rectifying that now.
''It'll be trickier for any other scumbag to have a crack.''
A ''ripper'' image of the intruder was caught on a security camera at Mornington mall, he said.
The European man was clean shaven, wearing a hoodie and a checked shirt, he said.
Wok Fusion owner Sarah Lim said the CCTV footage from a camera outside her shop revealed a man had used a metal bar to try to enter the takeaway shop in the mall.
After a minute or so, he gave up and then tried to enter the Tasse Cafe next door, she said.
Cafe owner Rebecca Aburn said the cafe door was damaged.
The security footage showed the man gave up his attempt when he was startled by flashing lights of a vehicle, she said.
She had owned the cafe for only nine weeks.
Country Cobbler owner Greg Fox said a man jemmied the lock on the door of his nearby shop and took his petty cash.
''I hope he needed the money to keep his family fed,'' Mr Fox said.
He had now ''bolstered'' the lock on the door.
On the same morning, an attempt was made to enter two more Mornington businesses, Shree Indian Restaurant and the hairdresser Hair @ Morning.
Midway Motors was also hit - owner Chris Henderson said CCTV footage showed a man entered the office through a window about 2am on Saturday before stealing about $1400 cash.
CCTV footage showed the intruder was wearing a hoodie, checked flannel shirt and red gloves.
''It annoys you. You feel violated.''
