Rusted street lamp collapses on to street

Rusted lamp post collapses onto Glamorgan Avenue in Tamatea /Photo supplied

A bright and sunny day brought a series of odd occurrences, particularly for a neighbourhood in Tamatea.

A small group of residents gathered in awe as a street lamp collapsed on to their street yesterday afternoon.

The rusted lamp post clanged on to Glamorgan Ave around midday yesterday and police attended the scene for safety reasons.

It appeared to have snapped off from the base due to heavy rust. No vehicles were parked near the lamp post and no damage or injuries were reported.

A resident who did not wish to be named said she didn't see the lamp post fall, but she certainly heard it.

"It's pretty light-weight because it's hollow in the middle, it was very rusty at the bottom," she said.

"A neighbour of mine across the road said she thought she saw it on a lean the other day.

"The ground is still really wet from all the rain we had last week, so that could have been a contributor."

The Hawke's Bay region also experienced gale-force winds in last week's severe weather event, which may have played a part in weakening the structure.

A number of residents at Bupa Gladys Mary Care Home were having their lunch at the time, with one woman saying she "just saw it fall".

The lamp post was removed by council contractors two hours later.

Napier Mayor Bill Dalton was in Darwin, Australia at the time and said he had not heard about the incident and was unable to comment.