Banger with bite

Chicken, lime and lemongrass might not be the most traditional sausage flavour, but it has earned a Northland butchery the top award in this year's national sausage competition.

Up to 500 sausages were entered into the Devro Great NZ Sausage competition in Auckland on Thursday night.

The supreme award went to the Mangawhai Meat Shop for a banger with the unique combination.

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The mastermind behind the sausage is award-winning butcher Dan Klink, who has had a passion for butchery since he was a teenager.

Five new faces

The official election result has confirmed there will be five new members around the Northland Regional Council table.

The final results confirm the election of new councillors Justin Blaikie (Hokianga-Kaikohe), Mike Finlayson (Te Hiku), Penny Smart (Kaipara), Rick Stolwerk (Coastal South) and Jocelyn Yeoman (Coastal North). The election of councillors Ms Smart and Ms Yeoman also means the council will have two serving female members for the first time since 1998.

The five new councillors will be joined by returning members John Bain (Whangarei Urban), Paul Dimery (Coastal Central), Bill Shepherd (Coastal North) and David Sinclair (Whangarei Urban).

Councillors are due to be formally sworn in at a meeting in Whangarei on Tuesday, October 25.

Properties "scoped"

A number of Facebook pages have shared a warning of a group of people acting suspiciously in and around Kaitaia.

Three vehicles - a white Hilux, a people mover and a silver four-door sedan - have been seen, together and individually, the occupants allegedly "scoping" properties. Any suspicious activity, and vehicle registration numbers, should be reported to the Kaitaia police.

Driver was "rammed"

The 19-year-old Awanui woman whose ute rolled on Quarry Rd, north of Kaitaia, on Wednesday night told police that she had been rammed by a vehicle that she could only describe as black. She was admitted to Kaitaia Hospital with possible spinal injuries, while her vehicle was damaged beyond repair.

Child hit by car

A child was taken to hospital with a suspected broken collarbone after being hit by a car in Northland.

Police and ambulance were called to Station Rd, Kamo about 3.20pm yesterday after a child was hit by a car.

Police said the child was taken to hospital with a suspected broken collarbone.