Phone threat prompt Tauranga IRD closure

People wait to be let into Regional House after it was closed for a period today. Photo/John Borren.

UPDATED: A Katikati man gave threatening comments over the phone forcing the closure of two of the country's Inland Revenue offices.

The phone call threatened staff of Inland Revenue's call centre, resulting in the Tauranga and Wellington centres being closed off to the public briefly this morning.

A Tauranga police station spokesperson said a male rang the IRD call centre upset over child support payments.

There were no direct threats made towards the two offices, however the nature of the man's comments made suggestion to the WINZ shooting in Ashburton last year.

The phone call was enough to action a precautionary step to secure the Tauranga building and prevent anyone from leaving or entering the premises.

The Tauranga office was reopened around 12:30pm.

Police are still actively making enquirers and following up on an investigation.

EARLIER: The Tauranga Inland Revenue office had been closed after a security threat this morning.

Inland Revenue received a security threat concerning its Tauranga office on Elizabeth Street at 10:30am, said an Inland Revenue spokesperson in a written statement.

As a result, a precautionary step was taken to secure the building preventing anyone from leaving or entering the premises, according to the statement.

The building reopened around 12:30pm.

Police were at the Regional House building at the time of the report, however have not given comment about what happened.

Inland Revenue staff also did not comment on what happened this morning.