Treasure trove of abandoned goods

Two diamond rings are amongst piles of lost property being collected at the city's sports facilities.

Tauranga Leisure facilities manager Tina Harris-Ririnui has been trying to find the owner of the seemingly precious jewellery, left at the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre about five years ago.

Ms Harris-Ririnui said the rings had been held at the centre for a year in the hope someone would come back for them, before being handed to Tauranga Police.

"We took them to the police, but [in the end] the police returned them to us. We [also] put it in the paper, but it was too long afterwards," she said.

Ms Harris-Ririnui said all five Tauranga Leisure centres had bins overflowing with lost property, with the largest amounts at the TECT Arena at Baypark and Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre.

"We get mountains of clothes, lots of shoes, bags, cellphones, watches. We [even] get school bags!

"People just come in, put their things down and just forget about them."

Abandoned items were usually held for one to three months, she said. "[It] depends on how valuable the items are."

Ms Harris-Ririnui said unclaimed clothing items were donated to the Salvation Army.

Anyone who has lost something at any Tauranga Leisure facility, - like the two rings - should call head office on 0508 732 732.