Hamilton suburb of Maeroa woken by gunshots

Police officers at the scene of this morning's incident in Hamilton. Photo / Nikki Preston

Residents in the Hamilton suburb of Maeroa were woken by four loud gunshots early this morning.

One neighbour told the Herald they ran outside after hearing gunshots being fired at a house at about 1.30am.

A police cordon remains in place at the Hinau St property with two police officers guarding the scene.

The neighbour said he joined other residents gathered on the street. Police arrived and took statements.

The neighbour said all four shots were aimed at the house.

The glass front door bears a bullet hole from the incident. It is understood diesel was also poured over the fence.

Neighbours were also woken to a single gunshot on Sunday night. The shot had been fired at the house next door.

Police arrived but had gone before they woke in the morning, he said.

"They must have got the wrong address."

The neighbour said people were often coming and going from the house.

Another couple told the Herald they heard a car idling outside their house just after 1am so looked out the window and in the pitch-dark and spotted two figures heading towards the garage at the right of the house.

"Then I saw a flame and thought, 's*** that looks like a fire bomb' so I called the cops.

"The next thing a guy went to the car and came back with a shotgun and started firing at the house," the man said.

He watched as the pair then returned to the car fleeing in the dark coloured sedan.

"They just took off."

Another resident was still awake when he heard "bang, bang, bang, bang" and then a car speeding off.

After hearing a shot had been fired at a house earlier in the week, he said he was pretty sure what it was.

He and his mother went outside to investigate and were met by other neighbours who had nervously started congregating on the street and had already called 111.

The woman in her 60s and her granddaughter who were both sleeping in the house at the time have been left shaken. The grandmother walked down the driveway before returning back to her house to wait for police, the Herald understands.

It is understood the woman's two sons are frequent visitors to the property and there are often people working on cars in the garage.

CCTV footage captured by a neighbouring property showed a sedan heading along Hinau St before looping back and stopping outside the house.

Police were stopping vehicles as they emerged from a long driveway belonging to the house at the rear of the one that was shot at.

A police media spokesperson said police responded to reports of a firearm being discharged on Hinau St in Hamilton at 1.20am this morning.

No injuries were reported. Police were still making inquiries.