Police have found more than $10,000 worth of items allegedly stolen from an Oamaru auction on Tuesday night.
The auction, run by Surplus Brokers - a travelling outfit which sells goods on behalf of vendors nationwide - still went ahead yesterday in the gymnasium of the Waitaki Recreation Centre.
A Surplus Broker employee, who declined to be named, said a children's quad bike, dirt bikes, remote control toys, tools and a chainsaw were among items noticed missing when workers returned from their motel shortly before 9pm on Tuesday.
Members of the public had seen individuals wearing balaclavas loading items into a vehicle, the employee said.
Sergeant Tony Woodbridge, of Oamaru, said police were called to an Orwell St address at about 9.30pm on Tuesday.
Assistance from the public enabled police to locate the stolen items and effect two arrests, he said.
Sgt Woodbridge said it was "quite rare that [Oamaru] gets a burglary of such magnitude".
He wished to thank members of the public for volunteering the information which led to the arrests.
• A 19-year-old Oamaru man had been charged with burglary, and his 56-year-old mother was charged with receiving stolen property, Sgt Woodbridge said.
The two will appear in the Oamaru District Court on April 11.
Police are searching for a third person implicated in the burglary.
