10 Oct 2007

Samoa police hunt for the missing Games beds and bedding

4:14 pm on 10 October 2007

Police in Samoa are seeking to solve the mystery disappearance of more than one hundred items of sleeping equipment following the end of the recent South Pacific games.

Police say more than 80 of the four thousand mattresses and 42 of the two thousand beds bought by the government for the athletes were removed from the seven venues.

So far just 34 mattresses and 3 beds have been recovered with some found to have been sold to local households.

The government and the South Pacific Games Authority had planned to auction the items.

Our correspondent in Samoa, Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia, says the police are investigating.

"There is a police team out around the island trying to locate and investigate the information they have of whereabouts of all these mattresses so I have a feeling the police should come up with some sort of explanation before the end of this week."

Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia says the police intend charging those responsible.