Nearly every local down on Wairakei Avenue likes Christmas a lot, but it appears there's some Grinches who obviously do not.

For a number of years now, many of the locals who live on the Papamoa Beach road have decorated their homes in Christmas lights for the sole purpose of creating joy and wonder for others.

But their joy and wonder has been replaced with anger and bewilderment after some locals woke up this morning to find their Christmas lights had been ripped off of their fences, as well as having their wires cut.

Three residents who spoke to SunLive on the condition of anonymity have expressed their disappointment, like Karen who doesn't mince her words when describing how she feels.

'It really p***** me off because it's not cheap to do this, some of us have spent hundreds on lights and we do it for other people's enjoyment, then you get some little scrot-bags come along and ruin it for everyone.

'Last year for there was a traffic jam on Christmas Eve because people wanted to view the lights. That's why we do it, it's so neat to sit there and see people's faces and overhear little kids saying ‘oh my god this is amazing'. It just gives you warm fuzzies.”

Her neighbour Jo says at least five houses including her own were affected by the vandalism. Even more upsetting for her is the fact this year is the first her family 'jumped on the bandwagon” and put up some lights.

'We've gone down to Bunnings and spent the money, I'd hate to think how much we spent, maybe $150, we even got the paints out and got creative and made some of our lights as well.

'It took us the better part of the weekend putting them up, so to only have them up for a couple of nights and have them ruined straight away, it's gutting.”

While fellow Wairakei Avenue resident John, whose decorations were untouched by the vandals, says this isn't the first time someone has targeted the street's Christmas lights.

'Every year something happens, and the people who do it are just little pricks.

'You get so much positive feedback from people in the area about the lights then you get a******* like this who just want to ruin it for people.”