Bomb suspicion causes panic

A bomb scare in suburban Taupo saw dozens of homes evacuated and several blocks cordoned off yesterday.

Homes within 100m of a Cumberland St property were evacuated about 2.15pm after police received reports of an unexploded bomb at a property in the Tauhara suburb.



Emergency services, including police, fire and ambulance, rushed to the scene and cordons were kept in place for about 90 minutes as the police sought advice from the New Zealand Defence Force bomb disposal squad. Homes were evacuated for about 90 minutes but it is not clear how many.

Senior Sergeant Tony Jeurissen said police emailed a picture "of what could loosely be described as a bomb" to the squad and were then told it was safe to reduce the cordons and allow people back into their homes.







When police cars started turning up on Taupo woman Marie Thompson's street she presumed it was a "suspicious death".

She returned to find her road cordoned off and was prevented from going back to her home.

Ms Thompson had to wait about an hour before being allowed to return to her Terence St home, but said she would "rather be safe than sorry".

Lyn Horne, was babysitting 3-month-old Hunter Wall when police told her to get out of her house because there had been a bomb scare.

She and daughter Sinead "got the baby and ran".

Ms Horne said while there was a bit of joking about the scare, it was also rather nerve wracking.

Another resident, Vinie Pearson, said he heard the item which sparked the call-out was an old Navy bomb which someone had found and placed in their garden.

Sergeant Greg Weston of the Taupo police said a residenet had picked up the device while walking on a Manawatu beach and had taken it home for a garden ornament. It had been in the garden for over 18 months.

The resident was told by a family member to inform the New Zealand Defence Force which she did.

The defence force confirmed the device was a training bomb and had been "live" at some earlier time. About 6pm police removed the bomb and disposed of it. Mr Jeurissen said people should always call the police if they saw anything they thought could be a bomb.

"But I wouldn't stand anywhere near it, if you have a cellphone it could possibly activate it."

He said the best course of action would be to move away from the device and call the police, who would go through standard procedures - like yesterday.