Hundreds of plants are being pinched from a Christchurch park, with brazen thieves using scooters and wheelie bins to get away with the prized flora.
Some of the plant thefts from the Mona Vale Garden Park over the past six months have been caught on camera, as some flowers and bushes literally disappear overnight.
The historic homestead is surrounded by more than five hectares of manicured lawns, mature trees and flower gardens, kept by two full-time staff and an army of volunteers.
Mona Vale sub-committee member and volunteer Susan Lawrence told RNZ's Checkpoint there had been sporadic thefts over many years, but it had ramped up in the past six months.
"There's been some really brazen nocturnal activity, and we've been wondering how to address the problem, so we'll start by just putting it out there in the public domain."
Read more at rnz.co.nz