Scout den hit by thieves

• Published date: 24 April 2024
• Author: Grace Odlum
• Publication title: Kapiti News

The Paraparaumu Scout Group’s den is in a dark corner of the reserve and on Saturday night it was targeted by thieves looking for valuables

The offenders removed the wooden bollard from the top entrance so they could gain access to the park from Kaitawa Cres then drove down through the park towards the den, Scout leader Daniel Cottrell said.

They didn’t take much — just the den’s outside tap which Cottrell said the thieves would have assumed was copper, 7-9 metres of copper piping from under the hall, and a waste pipe

“It’s very inconvenient and very annoying. We’re not rich — [the Scouts] fund with their fundraising.”

With the tap missing, water was left pouring out for 12 hours and Cottrell said their plumber told them a cubic metre of water would have been wasted each minute.

“We’re not looking forward to having that bill come in.”

The theft meant the Scout group would be down a significant amount of money with having to pay a plumber and higher water charges.

Cottrell said they would have to either apply for grants or do extra fundraising to...