Flaxmere man to appear in court on gun charges

Armed police search for an alleged gunman in Flaxmere Park, Hastings, yesterday. Photo / Warren Buckland

A Flaxmere man will appear in court charged with unlawfully possessing a gun, after armed police swooped on two properties yesterday and a local school was put in lockdown.

Police Senior Sergeant Nick Dobson said police attended a domestic incident at a Flaxmere house about 11am yesterday.

They were unable to locate a man at the house who was alleged to have a gun described as a shotgun. Armed offenders squad officers went to two properties in search of him.

As the properties being searched were close to Peterhead School, the school was put in lockdown, with pupils told to stay indoors from 2pm for about an hour.

The pupils were held back at home time at 2.45pm, with a message posted on the school's Facebook page saying:

"Peterhead School has just been asked by the police to hold all the children at 2.45pm at school, due to a member of the community [Peterhead Ave] having a gun - police are negotiating with him and will notify us when it's safe to let all the children go home. All the children are safe, so please bear with us until we get the all-clear from the police."

Roads surrounding the school were cordoned off, including Peterhead Ave, Liverpool Cres, Plymouth Rd and Tilbury Ave.

A 24-year-old Flaxmere man turned himself in to Flaxmere police station just after 3pm. He was not armed.

He was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and will appear in Hastings District Court on Friday.