Thieves who ransacked the Waipuna Hospice depot in Brook St, Tauranga, overnight targeted the tools depot staff use to fix and repair the donated goods and items before sale.

'This is a major disruption at our busiest time of year,” says Depot manager Barry Stiles.

Missing are a socket set, skill saw, jig saw, cordless drills, a big power drill. A small arc welder and spot welder have gone.

Also missing are a pair of steel capped boots, and a lap top – all of which is presumed to have been loaded into the missing Ford Transit van and driven away.

'This is all our working stuff. It's stopped us in our tracks from doing anything.”

The thieves went right through the depot, taking some items ignoring others. The contents of Barry's office were all over the floor, and the fridge had been emptied, with bottles of grape juice left on the floor.

'They have gone through every single drawer.”

While the depot repair shop is recovering, the stream of donated goods is being continued with the hire of a replacement van, which was today being used to deliver furniture to the nearby shop.

The sign painted Ford Transit van registration number DUY554 stolen from Brook Street overnight. Photo: Supplied.

The missing van is the centre of the operation, says volunteer Al Wallace. Without a vehicle to collect donated property the whole operation halts.

The Brook Street depot repairs, refurbishes and sorts donated goods for the Waipuna Hospice's shops in Te Puke, Mount Maunganui and in Tauranga at Greerton and Fraser cove.

The Waipuna Hospice provides its services free to patients and is contracted to the Tauranga District Health Board to provide palliative services to the residents of the Bay of Plenty region.

The contract only covers a percentage of the cost of providing the service. The rest is funded by donations, grants, fundraising and bequests – often of property that is sold through the hospice shops.

Staff have appealed on Facebook for help from anyone who has seen the van or any suspicious activity at Brook Street overnight.

If you have seen the van since or have information that will help police track the stolen property or people responsible, call Tauranga police on 07 577 4300 or 0800 555 111.