Street cleared in bomb scare

This is all that is left of the Fairway Drive letter box blown up by a tuna bomb this week. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A Whangarei street was in lockdown for four hours and two houses were evacuated as a bomb squad removed an explosive device.

Police blocked off Fairway Drive in Kamo and stopped traffic, with officers yelling at children on the street to "get inside" about 8pm on Monday.

The Auckland-based bomb disposal unit were called and as a precaution police evacuated two houses and cordoned off part of Fairway Drive. Police confirmed the bomb, which the Northern Advocate understands was a tuna bomb, was secured just before midnight.

Tuna bombs are most often used by tuna fishermen netting large schools of fish. When a net is cast out the bombs are thrown into the water, exploding beneath the surface and scaring the fish into the nets.

The call-out came less than 24 hours after neighbours heard a "huge boom" and a letter box was destroyed at one of the houses which was evacuated. Police confirmed they are investigating if the two incidents were linked. A woman hanging washing out about 9pm on Sunday said she heard a huge explosion "that was definitely not fireworks".

"It was not something I had heard before ... it was a real boom. Then there was a car racing past our property towards Kamo," she said.

When she was out walking on Monday she noted a letter box just a few doors away was nearly destroyed. The first she heard of Monday night's drama was when a family member, also living in the same street, saw the flashing lights of police cars and sent a text message.

"We went outside to have a look and it was eerily quiet on the street with no traffic."

Later on when they ventured outside she spotted a white van with a man using a remote control to bring what she described as a robot with tank tracks down a ramp.

"It was pretty much like being in a television programme watching it all unfold."

Northland police spokeswoman Sarah Kennett said police had yet to determine what the explosive device was.

Earlier, a New Zealand importer and distributor of tuna bombs, who did not wish to be named, told the Advocate the bombs were also called "seal control devices" and used mainly in the fishing industry. He said they were very dangerous if used incorrectly. "If you held them in your hand too long it would blow your bloody arm off," he warned.