A Dunedin motel owner is offering a $1000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the pranksters who caused thousands of dollars' water damage to seven motel units on Saturday morning.
The man, who does not want to be named or have the North Dunedin motel he co-owns identified, said he was rung up at 4am on Saturday morning by a guest who told him it was raining - inside and outside the unit.
A fire hose fed though the door of a vacant second floor unit and turned on had caused water to build up over several hours and cascade through six other units, he said.
Guests from three units had to be evacuated at 4.30am and "they weren't really appreciative of it".
The motel owner said what probably started off as a practical joke had caused thousands of dollars' damage, with insurance assessors expected to determine the full extent of the damage over the next couple of days.
"That joke has become very costly for us."
The motel would have to reschedule guests over the next week as it did not have enough rooms available and the resulting cleanup would have a "major impact" on the business, he said.
The motel owners were offering a $1000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons involved in the prank as they wanted to ensure a similar incident did not happen to other businesses.
Constable Tracey Bransgrove said police were reviewing security camera footage and anyone who may have witnessed people acting suspiciously in the Cumberland St area was asked to contact North Dunedin Police.
The person or persons involved in the incident were likely to be charged with wilful damage and burglary, she said.
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