Rightful homes for more than 200 stolen garden gnomes sought by police

The owners of more than 200 stolen garden gnomes and other ornaments are being sought by police after being found during a search warrant.

Wairarapa police said the gnomes had been stolen from the Wairarapa region in the past six to 12 months.

The ornaments were discovered during a search warrant at a home in Masterton on October 17.

The haul also included bird baths, outdoor furniture, a gazebo, trollies, windmills, solar lights, children's wheelbarrows, metal birds, pot plants, statues, sculptures, a concrete giraffe and even a few buddha, police said.

The ornaments were at the Masterton Police Station, Sergeant Nick Bunny said.

"We'd really like people to check their gardens and outdoor areas, and if they are missing anything, they should pop into the station with their identification, and we'll work with them to identify items.

"We're hoping the public can help us get them gnome sweet gnome."

The public could also make a report online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking "Update report", or by calling 105 and using the reference number 261014/0880.