The organiser of an allegedly stolen Ashburton community food pantry says there is security camera footage of the incident.
Tk Paul is waiting to have the footage handed to him, as he considers posting it online. He said the pantry, a large and heavy shelf unit, was taken on Tuesday last week, between 6pm and 8pm.
Located in Hampstead on the footpath of Chalmers Ave, the pantry had been empty and lying on its side due to strong winds at the time.
Paul said the footage showed two young men and one young woman loading the pantry on to the deck of a white ute.
‘‘It had to have been planned,’’ Paul said.
He hoped if he posted the video it would help identify the culprits. The footage was from the private security camera of a home located near the pantry.
On Tuesday this week he was waiting for the footage to be handed to him.
He had reported the incident to police.
Police confirmed the report of a burglary. Police added they had filed the case, but if new information came to light, such as CCTV, they could reopen it.
Paul appealed to the alleged thieves to leave the pantry somewhere so it could be picked up and returned to its location.
It had filled a worthy role in the community for the last two years, allowing people to leave food donations and take from it as needed.
‘‘Our elderly people relied on it, because they are the ones suffering the most,’’ Paul said.
