Two thefts mar build up to World Rowing Champs

Waikato Police are working with their Counties Manukau colleagues and World Rowing Championships organisers to ensure personal and site security is enhanced following to separate incidents over the past 24 hours.

Western Waikato Area Commander, Inspector Paul Carpenter, said in the first incident two large outboard motors were stolen from a pair of rigid hull inflatable boats parked near the High Performance Centre at Lake Karapiro yesterday while today a group of Austrian rowers training at Mercer arrived back at a local rowing club to find their gear stolen.

"These incidents are not related and are being investigated by Cambridge and Tuakau Police respectively but they are very disappointing in terms of how New Zealand as a whole will be portrayed by overseas media."

"In the second incident personal gear belonging to I believe seven rowers was taken as well as rowing equipment. Each of these victims will have reported their loss to relatives and friends at home and this is not the image we would like to see our country painted in."

Mr Carpenter said Waikato Police were appealing to anyone who is approached about buying or storing outboard motors to contact the Cambridge Police directly or if they prefer to leave information anonymously to phone the CrimeStoppers crimeline, 0800 555 111.

The motors are described as silver Honda BF20hp engines.

"News of both incidents is disappointing, especially seeing today all the effort put in by the local Karapiro and Cambridge communities to get behind this event.

"We're hoping a sense of national pride will set in and lead to the identification of those responsible, meanwhile we will be working closely with organisers and competitors alike to ensure their security is enhanced and they are aware of the risks."