Oamaru police have issued a warning following a spike in thefts of chainsaws and fuel from rural sites.
Sergeant Tony Woodbridge, of Oamaru, said people needed to make sure they kept items of value out of sight and locked up.
Overnight on Saturday, 20 hay bales were stolen from a barn in Gardiners Rd, Awamoa; on Sunday, a chainsaw and fuel was stolen from a Fernbrook Rd property; on Monday, police had a report of a burglary at a York St, Pukeuri, address where a chainsaw was stolen; and they were also dealing with a report of a burglary at Waitaki Girls' High School in which $40 worth of fuel was stolen from a secured shed where a padlock was cut.
Sgt Woodbridge urged people to be cautious if they were buying chainsaws, fuel or firewood at prices that could be too good to be true.
