A 300-year-old church bell stolen from a King Country church has been found in a scrap metal yard in Auckland, police say.
The bronze bell weighing about 75kg went missing from the town of Otorohanga between Sunday and Tuesday.
Sergeant Andrew Connors says the scrap dealer contacted police on Thursday after staff heard about the missing bell.
Police are looking for at least two people in connection to the theft, as they believe the bell would be too heavy for one person to move alone.
The bell has historic significance for the Otorohanga community and will be returned to St Bride's Anglican Church as soon as possible, he says.
It was gifted to the church in the 1960s but was originally from a ship built in 1694.
The vicar of St Bride's, the Reverend Christine Scott, says the community is delighted the bell has been found undamaged and the church with work with police and an engineer to keep it safe.
