Vandals target Whangārei cleaning business using sledgehammers to smash signs

Whangārei man Aaron Maple is becoming increasingly frustrated as unknown vandals keep damaging his business signs costing him more than $1200 so far.

A year ago, Maple started noticing that his business signs across town – from Hikurangi over to Whangārei Heads – are being targeted by vandals.

"We went from doing good things for the community to having 11 signs damaged," Maple said.

The Wash Rite Northland director joined the franchise cleaning business two years ago looking after residential homes as well as commercial buildings, and had been helping out in his community, recently cleaning a moss-covered bus stop on Riverside Dr for free.

Maple has filed a police report though he doesn't know who is behind the vandalism and what their motive is.

"They [the vandals] are going to great lengths to demolish the signs," he said.

Initially, Maple's signs were pulled out of the ground, which led Maple to install more robust structures. It then went on to tagging with the word "toxic" written all over the billboards.

"They are now onto attacking the signs with a sledgehammer," Maple said. "It's getting ridiculous.

Link: NZ Herald