Police have cordoned off Whangarei shops after an incident believed to have involved a man with a weapon.

The Northern Advocate understands St John Ambulance were called to attend to a medical emergency involving a person at about 10.50am, at the block of shops at Kensington.

Police were quick to cordon the shops and were talking to people who were in the area at the time. A man is believed to have entered the Kensington NZ Post and Kiwibank with a weapon.