LEAD STORY: Man shot in face

A large police team drawn from Gisborne and Hawke's Bay, many of them armed, put a rural area of Wairoa into lockdown yesterday after the shooting of a man at the Mongrel Mob's "pad" earlier in the day.
The man, described as in his 30s and a member of the Mongrel Mob, received shotgun pellet injuries to his face after an incident at the run-down Kaimoana Rd property and was later airlifted to Hawke's Bay Hospital for treatment.
On arrival he was seen to be conscious and holding a bandage to his mouth area.
His condition this morning was described as stable.
"This was an internal Mongrel Mob thing - no other gang was involved," Gisborne Police Area Commander Sam Aberahama said.
In the wake of the incident 25 people had been arrested on charges of unlawful assembly after what was described as a "brawl" which led to the shooting.
The first reports something was happening in the Kaimoana Rd area, which is on the road to Frasertown, came about 9am when police were called after gunshots were heard.
Aware of the history of gang-related troubles in the region, and that Kaimoana Rd houses the local Mongrel Mob's headquarters, Wairoa police were bolstered by reinforcements from Gisborne and Napier. Armed offenders squad officers were also dispatched.
"Police were able to extricate one man who had been shot in the face," Mr Aberahama said.
The firearm had still not been recovered this morning. A specialist police search team from Wellington would arrive at the scene today.
The man was taken by road to Wairoa Hospital and later airlifted to Hastings by the Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter.
Police immediately closed the area and a search of the property where the shooting took place was carried out.
By mid-afternoon yesterday armed police stood watch on the road outside the old corrugated iron building and had sealed off two other properties nearby.
The gang's "pad" is set beside a large paddock, and that too had been closed off.
Two houses further along the road were described by police as properties "of interest" to them.
A team of armed offenders squad officers went into a third house nearby, searched it but found nothing.
By early afternoon police had also set up a checkpoint on SH2 between Napier and Wairoa near Tutira.
Mr Aberahama described the incident as unacceptable in the eyes of the public and police.
"We are doing everything possible to find out what happened and to prevent a recurrence," he said.
Police in Wairoa worked closely with the community, iwi and groups like the gangs to ensure people felt safe and stayed safe.
Asked if the gang members had been co-operative with police Mr Aberahama replied "not exactly".
He said the 25 arrested were transported to Gisborne last night and were to appear in Gisborne District Court today.
He asked that anyone with information about the shooting call Wairoa police, or make a call in confidence to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.