False anthrax scare in Wellington

Emergency services have flooded to a reported anthrax scare in Wellington this afternoon, only to find out it was a false alarm.

Assistant area commander Paul Smith said the Fire Service received a call about a possible anthrax threat at the Heath Street Flats in Bannister Ave, Johnsonville about 3pm.

The call had come from a resident at the flats who said he had 1kg of the deadly substance delivered to him.

"It would appear that's probably not the case," Mr Smith said at the scene.

Police had applied a risk assessment process and based on other information firefighters had gathered, it was decided there was no actual threat.

All emergency services have been stood down as a result.

Mr Smith said the call out was "a little bit frustrating".

"But we would rather come out for something that we're not needed for, than not come out for something we were."

He said the Fire Service - which sent 10 appliances to the flats - assembled resources as they normally would for a threat like this.

"We treat everything as real until such time as we can ascertain more information and scale things down."