KEY POINTS:
A bomb scare that closed several of Hastings' main streets yesterday was the result of an innocent scientific experiment, police say.
The owner of a scrap metal yard on Coventry Road in Mahora alerted police when he found six 30cm long brass pipes with explosive material inside.
Nearby industrial businesses were evacuated and a 200m cordon was put up around the yard.
An army bomb squad initially thought the chemicals inside the pipes might cause an explosion, and took some time to identify the material before eventually dismantling the devices.
Detective Senior Sergeant Dave De Lange said police investigations had revealed the pipes were innocently dropped off at the scrap metal yard by a farm worker yesterday morning.
The pipes had been left lying in a paddock on the farm for about five years after a group of scientific enthusiasts had conducted a radionics experiment in the farm paddock, Mr De Lange said.
"The experiment involved trying to disperse energy waves into the atmosphere and the pipes were just part of the purpose-built equipment they used. Unfortunately, the experimenters abandoned their equipment on the farm."
Mr De Lange said police were satisfied there was no criminal intent involved in the "pipe bombs" scenario and no charges would be laid in connection with the incident.
"Police must take these incidents very seriously and we were left with no option but to evacuate nearby businesses and set up a cordon for the safety of everyone in the vicinity.
"Luckily this incident had a safe conclusion," he said.
- NZPA
