The power of social media has brought two young troublemakers to justice.
Former New Plymouth mayor and Devon Hotel owner Peter Tennent posted CCTV footage on Facebook yesterday morning of the pair breaking into his company’s van in the early hours on Monday.
Not long after, the woman involved made contact with Mr Tennent offering to hand herself in.
In a Facebook message to Mr Tennent she wrote, "I take full responsibility for what I did and will deal with the consequences".
But when Mr Tennent requested they meet with him at 9am today, the pair were a no-show.
"That shows these two need a little bit of support and encouragement from our local police," Mr Tennent said.
He said the police will be paying the youths a visit.
It's the second time Mr Tennent has successfully caught delinquents using social media.
Last February three vandals were caught on the same cameras ripping fairy lights off the trees outside the hotel.
Police found them within 48 hours of Mr Tennent posting stills of the footage on his Facebook page.
Mr Tennent said Taranaki people did not put up with rabble-rousers.
"Folks who call this place home get pretty grumpy when someone undermines it."
The footage from 2am on Monday shows the man and woman attempting to break into the van, which belongs to Mr Tennent's catering company.
The man appears to try and force the door, before his female accomplice passes him a piece of wood that he uses to smash the front passenger window.
After breaking into the van and taking nothing, they went around the block and broke into another vehicle, again in front of cameras.
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