Life in the quiet Mid-Canterbury farming hub of Ashburton takes a step closer to normality today when its Work and Income office reopens for the first time since September's double-shooting tragedy.

A suspicious fire in an Ashburton garage where a family of three were sleeping was reported by a distressed child in the dead of night.

For rural friendliness and city fun, this gem has it all, finds Elisabeth Easther.

Nearly 100 jobs are set to go at Work and Income - but the government says even more new roles will be created.

Work and Income's Ashburton clients will be able to meet with clients face to face again when the Ministry of Social Development establishes a new base in a modular building on the Ashburton Police site on Havelock St.

New charges, including a second attempted murder count, have today been laid against alleged Ashburton Work and Income double killer Russell John Tully.

PM John Key and Labour leader David Cunliffe are expected to be among those attending today's public memorial service in Ashburton for the Winz shooting victims.

An investigation is underway after a bomb threat hoax at the Foxton Work and Income office last night.

Police investigating the double fatal Work and Income shooting in Ashburton say they have found a mountainbike and personal items which may belong to the suspect.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett and Work and Income staff were among about 300 mourners at the funeral of Susan Leigh Cleveland in Alexandra today.

The morning began like all others for three women in the Winz office.

Public servants will observe two minutes of silence at 9.51am on Monday to remember those who lost their lives a week earlier in the Ashburton Work and Income shootings.

Ashburton police are appealing to the public to help them locate a black mountain bike and any other items belonging to alleged Winz double murderer Russell John Tully.

Surrounded by friends at the club where they spent most Thursday nights, Peggy Noble's partner of 11 years stood in her honour.

Police investigating the Work and Income murders had possession of the alleged shooter's gun for two days before telling the public they had located it.

Accused limps into court as police refuse to say if the weapon used in the shootings had been recovered, while another office is locked down after a threat.

Paula Bennett says "there's lots of tears" for shooting victims as she reveals accused gunman had rejected further help from Work and Income.

Farmer Dan White knew a gunman was on the loose when he went to move a mob of sheep. He saw a man in a paddock 20m away.

The suspect at the centre of yesterday's triple shooting was a sick, homeless man who had returned to Ashburton to die.

Ashburton residents can sleep easy tonight after a suspected gunman who allegedly shot dead two Work and Income workers and injured another was take into police custody.

Follow here for live updates from the hunt for the gunman after two people were shot dead in the Work and Income office in Ashburton.

Armed police have apprehended the man sought over the fatal shooting of two people at a Work and Income office this morning.

A witness to today's shooting tragedy in Ashburton said he saw a staff member from Work and Income run after the shooter yelling "You bastard, you've blown her to bits".

Suspect in shooting had said he wanted Winston Peters to investigate town's treatment of him.

Five fire appliances are battling a large blaze at an animal feed store in an industrial park in west Ashburton this morning.

A post-mortem will be carried out this morning on a man's body found in Ashburton.