Christchurch, Feb 11 : Five cricket World Cup laptops loaded with information have been stolen just days before the showpiece tournament begins.

Canterbury police Wednesday confirmed the theft occurred at Hagley Netball Centre here, which volunteers have been using as a base to issue accreditation passes.

\"They contained no information that could breach security,\" Gary Knowles, district commander superintendent, was quoted as saying by nzherald.co.nz Wednesday.

Knowles was addressing a press conference outlining police preparations ahead of the tournament co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia, starting Saturday.

\"They will not impact, in any way, here or Australia in terms of security. They are securely passworded. We would just like to get those back.\"

He confirmed that a security guard was on duty at the time of the theft.

He also said that streakers could be fined $5000 or even jailed if they invade the pitch during the Cup matches.

Five World Cup computers stolen