Teen in court after armed standoff

A teenager appeared in court this afternoon after an armed standoff in the mid-Canterbury town of Ashburton this morning.

Senior Sergeant Arnold Kelly, of Ashburton police, said a teenager allegedly threatened a co-worker on a building site, saying he was going home to get a gun.

Police cleared the building site before calling in the police armed offenders squad from Timaru.

After a tense standoff, a youth was eventually taken into custody.

A court spokesman said that a 16-year-old appeared in Ashburton Youth Court this afternoon facing two charges in relation to the incident. He was remanded until July 16.

- NZPA