Armed offenders squad cordons off part of suburb

Two Rotorua teenagers who ran home to call police after seeing a man walking towards them with a gun sparked an armed offenders squad callout yesterday.

Several streets in Koutu were cordoned off for some time as the police armed offenders squad swooped on the area. No arrest was made but police said they were talking to someone in relation to the incident.

The Koutu youths who alerted police were enjoying their school holidays when they saw a man carrying a firearm.

The pair, who did not want to be identified, told The Daily Post they saw the gun-wielding man crossing railway tracks which run parallel to Frank St about 3pm.

They said they were shocked by what they saw and ran inside their home to phone the police after seeing the man.

"The police came, they were all dressed in black and they were carrying guns," one of the pair said.

"We were able to watch the whole thing."

Police put cordons in place, preventing some residents from getting home.

When asked by The Daily Post yesterday afternoon, they said they were unsure whether the firearm was real or an imitation.

Armed police surrounded a house with police cordons in place on Frank St, Russell Rd and Bidois Rd.

Several Frank St residents were caught in the cordons and were unable to get home while police were at the scene.

One man, who didn't want to be identified, said he had to wait at least 15 minutes before he could make it home.

"I was just on my way home from work. I think I just came towards the end," he said.

"I didn't have any idea what was happening ... By the time I got here everything was over. I saw the police standing around but that was about it."

He said some of his neighbours were not so lucky.

"The guy next door said he had been waiting ages to get home," he said.

"Nothing like this has happened around here for a while."

Inspector Chris Robinson of police northern communications said officers were called to Frank St about 3pm after they received reports of a man being seen with a firearm.

Mr Robinson could not say if the firearm was real or not but said cordons were put in place as a precaution. He confirmed police were talking to someone in relation to the incident.