An early-morning smash and grab of two Pike River donation boxes has been labelled reprehensible by police.
The thief smashed a large window at the Dunedin Central branch of The Warehouse in Maclaggan St, before grabbing a number of items, including computer game consoles and two donation boxes.
Proceeds from the donation boxes were for the families of the 29 miners who died in the Pike River mine tragedy last month.
Police were called to the store shortly before 5am, Senior Sergeant Mark Crawford said.
The thief, who was dressed all in black, used a shopping trolley to smash through the window before grabbing the consoles and boxes.
"It is disappointing people stoop so low."
The Warehouse group chief executive Ian Morrice said the company was "very disappointed that two public collection boxes for the Pike River Miners Relief Fund were taken".
"The Warehouse has, as a company, already donated a sum of funds to the individual families of the 29 miners and we have public collection boxes in all of our stores which will go to the Pike Rive Miners Relief Fund."
Police inquiries are continuing.
