Tagging beyond pale

The Salvation Army's The Nest and a house being sold to raise money for Waikato Hospice were among tagging targets in the Hamilton suburb of Melville at the weekend.

The taggers appeared to hit just about everything they came across along Kahikatea Dr and Ohaupo Rd early on Saturday morning, with fences, transformer boxes, roadworks signs and vehicles tagged.

Major Pam Waugh, The Nest's director, described the tagging as the worst the facility had ever had. "I'm just really annoyed," she said, estimating the cost of replacing the main sign to be up to $700.

"That's just wasting our resources ... that could be spent on food."

Aaron Jack said four Jack House Transit houses were heavily tagged, including one being sold as a fundraiser for Waikato Hospice.

Police said yesterday one offender had been caught and others were being investigated. BEN STANLEY

- Bang! Showbiz