A Hamilton internet cafe's being blasted for its social irresponsibility after it accepted $150 from an 11-year-old boy for games - during school hours.

The money was stolen, and the business in Garden Place is refusing to return it.

Police say the boy, who was small in stature, had taken the money from a family boarder. His family had to take money from their food budget to reimburse their boarder.

The boy's been referred to Youth Aid but its co-ordinator, Sergeant Scott Miller, says the cafe needs to consider the impact of allowing school aged children into their premises during school hours unchallenged.

The incident came just days after Matamata residents were asked to report school aged children on the streets during class time, after a rash of burglaries in the town.