Hospital placed on lockdown after threat

Rotorua Hospital

Rotorua Hospital was placed on lockdown for about an hour on Saturday night after a "verbal security threat" to the hospital.

Lakes District Health Board communications officer Sue Wilkie said additional security was put in place and people were stopped from entering and leaving the hospital after the hospital's switchboard received the threat.

Miss Wilkie said within an hour police informed the hospital they had spoken to the caller and the lockdown ended and flow of visitors continued.

"The hospital was not as busy as it usually is at that time on a Saturday evening."

Senior Sergeant Malcolm Collins of the Rotorua police said police were alerted after the call. "We went and spoke to the person. We had a name, knew who it was."

He did not believe police had gone to the hospital. No arrests were made and a person was given a warning.