Post #495620 by TikiHardBop on Wed, Nov 25, 2009 4:44 AM

This from New Zealand:

Pop singer Tina Cross today spoke of her distress at losing her most precious possession, a whalebone tiki, in a smash-and-grab robbery in Auckland last night.

The tiki, which once belonged to her late father, was in her handbag, which was taken from her car while she was rehearsing at Western Springs for this year's Christmas in the Park concert.

A window of the vehicle was smashed to gain access.

"I am extremely upset to have lost this family taonga," Cross said, adding that she and her husband were prepared to pay a "substantial reward" for its return.

Cross initially thought she had lost just replaceable items, like her mobile phone, wallet, cash, credit cards and make-up, and she reported the incident to police.

"It wasn't until I arrived home later that I realised that my precious taonga, a beautiful whalebone tiki previously owned by my late father, was in my handbag," she said.

"I have been travelling with this lately and had forgotten to take it out of my handbag. This is my most precious possession and I have had it close to me for the past 27 years."

The rehearsal took place between 6.45pm and 7.45pm at Westpoint Theatre, which is down a right-of-way.

Cross said her Lexus car, which had dark tinted windows, was surrounded by others and her handbag was pushed under the passenger dashboard and covered with a jacket.

While she was on the phone cancelling her credit cards, two station-wagons with young males in them sped by.

A member of her team said she had seen them through an open back door speeding through earlier.

One of the cars returned five minutes later and the single occupant, who was driving erratically, hurled abuse at Cross and others.

Cross said the car's number plate was noted down and given to police.