West Coast vandals' path of destruction

Vandals destroyed an excavator worth $130,000 in one of three attacks at Hokitika last weekend.

Constable Chris Maitland said the town had suffered a "path of destruction" early on Saturday.

An excavator left at the mouth of the Hokitika River was destroyed by fire, a clubhouse at Lake Kaniere, near Hokitika, was trashed and a sports field was ripped up by vehicles.

Maitland said it was a "bit of a leap" to assume all the incidents were linked, but he was keeping an open mind.

The vandalism was unusual for the town, he said.

Henry Adams, the owner of the excavator, said this was the first time vandals had targeted his equipment. The excavator was worth $130,000.

Lake Kaniere Yacht and Powerboat Club president Colin Chapman said members were devastated by the damage to their clubhouse.

Vandals broke five large windows and trashed the interior, he said. Chapman estimated the bill at $3000.

"It was gut-wrenching for us to see the damage," he said.

As a non-profit organisation, the club would struggle to fund repairs, Chapman said.

- © Fairfax NZ News