A criminal with a garden focus is operating in southern Dunedin, police say.
In recent weeks, a spree of thefts from gardens in St Kilda, Tainui, Musselburgh and Andersons Bay had been noted by Dunedin police, Inspector Matt Scoles said.
''It appears to be pretty opportunistic,'' he said.
''There's been a number of reports of people having ornaments or solar lighting taken from their garden areas or sections.
''They are not gaining entry into the house, per se, and there's no signs of anyone attempting to get
in.''
Based on what was being taken, police did not suspect young people were behind the thefts.
He advised gardeners to ensure items of perceived value were not visible from the street.
''It just sounds to us that someone is wandering along the street, have seen items on the property and are removing them,'' he said.
