Black Power associates on robbery charges

Two Black Power associates will appear in court this week after allegedly committing an aggravated robbery just four days after one of them was released from prison.

The pair, both in their late teens, allegedly used a baseball bat to rob a youth of his cellphone on a Whakatane street.

Police said the pair, said to be wearing gang colours, approached the youth at 1am on Saturday and demanded he give them the phone while threatening him with the bat.

The youth handed over the phone and escaped unharmed.

The two were arrested and remanded in custody at a court appearance on Saturday. They will appear again on Wednesday.

Police said one of the pair had been released from prison four days before the crime allegedly took place.