Alarm sparks false tsunami fear in Bay of Plenty

Police received several calls this morning from the public in Tauranga who had heard an alarm, some of them believing it may have been related to a tsunami.

But police have confirmed with Civil defence that no such warning was issued.

"Local Civil Defence believe that the alarm heard was either a car or house alarm," Inspector Kerry Watson said.

Thousands fled their homes on the east coast in May after an earthquake off Tonga sparked a tsunami warning which was later cancelled.

- NZHERALD STAFF