Northland news in brief: Circus tricks for youngsters; and woman injured in crash

Northland youngsters can learn circus tricks when the Youth Circus Festival in Waipū this month.

Young people are being given the chance to learn from the best circus talents for free at this month's Youth Circus Festival in Waipū. Circability Trust is hosting the second annual free festival at Coronation Hall from May 13 to 15. The festival promises some of the country's top circus performers to share their artistic flair with all circus fans via free community performances and workshops. Organisers say the event has been carefully tailored to the needs of students with disabilities and is inclusive for all young people aged 12 to 24. More details are available from circability.org.

Woman hurt in crash
A woman has been hurt in a two-car crash at Coopers Beach. The collision occurred just after 6pm on Saturday at the junction of State Highway 10 and Paradise Rd. She was initially deemed to be seriously injured but her condition had improved to moderate when she was transported to Kaitaia Hospital by St John Ambulance. Mangonui firefighters assisted police and ambulance staff and helped clear the road. A short time earlier, about 5.55pm on Saturday, St John treated five patients with minor injuries after a crash on Puketotara Rd, Waipapa. None needed hospital treatment. Kerikeri firefighters were tied up at the crash site for almost two hours because the road was blocked by wreckage.

Carjacking charges
Two men have been charged in relation to an alleged carjacking at Waipū on Sunday. August Lemon, 46, and Levi Reeves, 31, are jointly charged with unlawfully taking a vehicle - a 2004 Toyota Corolla - and with using a sawn-off .22 rifle to commit that offence. Reeves is further charged with failing to stop for police. The pair are accused of unlawfully taking two vehicles during an incident in Mountfield Rd, near Uretiti Beach at about 1.45pm. A police chase ended when the car hit police road spikes at the intersection of Maunu Rd and SH1, then collided with another vehicle. Reeves was further remanded in custody by consent for legal aid to be assigned and to apply for bail on May 16. Lemon applied for bail but the judge refused to grant it. Lemon will reappear in court on May 30.

GAS station burgled

The Parua Bay GAS service station in Whangārei Heads was burgled a sixth time on Sunday night. Around 8.15pm four teens in a car drove onto the forecourt before three masked young people - two of whom were wearing gloves - got out armed with a metal mallet. They smashed a front window of the building to gain entry to the service station where they spent two minutes raiding supplies of chocolate, sunglasses, and cigarette lighters before leaving the scene in the car with the waiting driver. Police inquiries in to the theft began on Monday morning.

Group brawl
Police were called to a fight reportedly involving a large number of people and a hammer in William Jones Drive, Ōtangarei, around 10.30am on Monday. Officers attended but the group had dispersed by the time they arrived, a police spokesperson said. There were no injuries reported from the incident, and no arrests made, the spokesperson added.