Police have arrested two people over the theft of a charity box that was captured on a service station CCTV camera.
Images were released yesterday showing a couple at the counter of a Hastings Z Energy service station.
It shows one of thieves distracting the attendant by asking for cigarettes and the second person taking the box while the attendant's back is turned.
The person who distracts the attendant appears to be a woman but police say they arrested two men this morning.
“They are due to appear in the Hastings District Court today on theft charges relating to the charity box, as well as other unrelated charges,” a police spokesman says.
The video was shown by media outlets and also posted on the local police Facebook page, prompting a flood of information to police.
Inspector Andy Sloan says police were heartened by the response.
“This is a fantastic result and would not have happened without the public's help. It was also pleasing to see the amount of outrage and disgust towards these people.
“It's obvious the community will not tolerate this type of behaviour and people are willing to help police prevent it happening,” says Mr Sloan.
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