The loss of the stolen firewood

It was ultimately families in need that would suffer from the loss of the stolen firewood, he said.

"It's basically stealing from a charity.

"I just want the community to know that there are people who do this sort of thing.

"It's the sheer frustration of it."

Marlborough Family Budgeting Service chairman Neville White said firewood donations from groups like the Blenheim Lions

Club were crucial for people "on struggle street".

"A lot of the people we see in the lower socio-economic groupings struggle to pay basic bills ... Not having [heating] is

just another blow to the people who are struggling. Because we do a lot of home visits, we see a lot of cold homes in

winter, and the result of that is people getting colds and flus."

Marlborough Family Budgeting Service referred clients to the Blenheim Lions for firewood.

Work and Income was able to provide payments to help with some heating methods, but some of the budgeting service's

clients had used up all financial assistance available.

"Free firewood is reasonably popular."

White described the theft of the wood as a tragedy.

Blenheim man Dale Johnson had most of his firewood taken at the start of June.

It was the second time firewood was stolen from Johnson's property in two years.

Senior sergeant Dan Mattison, of Blenheim police, said firewood theft was rare, and there had been no other reports of

firewood stolen in the past month.http://www.cnsuperpower.com/