More than 20 headstones have been vandalised at a Hawke’s Bay urupa over the weekend.
Police said it had received a report on Sunday afternoon that between 20-25 headstones at the Ōmāhu Urupa had been damaged sometime on Saturday night.
Ōmāhu Urupa was badly damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 with many burial sites impacted by flooding.
Reverend Zhane Tiopira Tāhau said the community was “devastated” by the vandalism but had built “so much resilience” from the weather event.
He provided an aerial picture which showed the vicinity of the damaged plots.
“We are respecting the sensitivity of this delicate situation by not posting any photos of the damaged plots.”
