A group of Victorian teenagers on a school trip to New Zealand stole $6000 of merchandise during a four-hour shoplifting spree in Queenstown at the weekend.
The group of 16 boys, aged between 14 and 16, narrowly avoided arrest and prosecution for youth offending, police said yesterday.
Constable Dave Felstead, of Queenstown, said the group, from a school in Victoria, stole clothes and souvenirs from central business district stores, including Outside Sports and R&R Sport, between 2pm and 6pm on Saturday
However, police did not find out until yesterday because teachers decided to take matters into their hands and return the property.
The goods were returned but it would have been easier if teachers had told police as soon as they knew, Mr Felstead said.
Police were unaware a series of town centre shoplifting reports were linked until an officer met a teacher who was returning some stolen goods, he said.
There have been previous incidents of young Australians shoplifting in Queenstown and all 16 youths were given warnings.
Passport numbers were recorded in case any of them get into trouble on future trips here.
The school intended to deal with the group "severely", and businesses would receive letters of apology, Mr Felstead said.
The spree probably started with one or two youths shoplifting, before others joined in, he said.
Their stupidity was frustrating because it wasted police time but by the time teachers and police caught up with the teens "they were a very sad and sombre bunch".
The disgraced group flew back to Australia yesterday.
In 2006, two girls from an exclusive Australian private school were caught shoplifting in Queenstown and dissolved in tears when the possibility of charges was raised.
The girls, part of a 36-strong group from Ipswich Girls' Grammar in Queensland, stole expensive clothes and cosmetics from at least five retailers
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