Man arrested for robbery and hoax bomb threat

Tauranga Library. Photo / File

A man has been arrested after allegedly making a hoax call about a bomb at Tauranga Library while he robbed a Post Shop this afternoon.

Senior Sergeant Owen O'Brien said the library was evacuated at 3.17pm after a phone call saying that a bomb would go off in 20 minutes.

About the same time police responded to a call of a knife-wielding man holding up a Post Shop on the corner of Cameron Road and 11th Avenue.

An unemployed local man was arrested nearby a short time later, and would appear in Tauranga District Court tomorrow charged with aggravated robbery and making the bomb threat call to the Tauranga library.

Mr O'Brien thanked the staff of the Tauranga City Council and Library for their prompt actions in evacuating the library and council buildings.

The area was cordoned off for about 45 minutes and a search found no explosive device in the building.

- NZPA