Army invasion brings backs terror

Peter Bentley, who was brutally beaten in a violent home invasion 18 months ago, thought the nightmare was happening all over again when a soldier wandered on to his property and activated alarms this week.

Mr Bentley was stunned to find the man on his Maniatutu Rd farm, between Rotorua and Te Puke, and even more surprised when the man claimed to be an SAS officer on what has turned out to be a botched army exercise.

He told the Rotorua Daily Post he wasn't taking any chances -- he cocked his gun and warned the armed man "I'll shoot".

A team of soldiers was carrying out an exercise on farmland near the Bentley's home but apparently got lost and wandered onto the property.

On Tuesday night the Bentleys' driveway alarm activated twice, about 7.20pm. Initially thinking his pigs had got out, Mr Bentley went to investigate.

Instead, he saw a man dressed in army pants and boots carrying a gun run away into bushes.

When he emerged, the soldier told him he was SAS, had a map and a compass and knew exactly where he was.

"I told him 'come towards me or I'll shoot'."

He told Mr Bentley there were five other members of the team also on his property.

The police arrived in under 20 minutes but knew nothing about the army exercise.

Army spokeswoman Major Charmaine Pene said the army must ask permission from the property owners, tell police and put an advert in a newspaper before carrying out an exercise.

She said it appeared the advert had not gone in the paper.

She also said the police's search and rescue squad had been told, although Te Puke police told the Bentleys they knew nothing about it.

Ms Pene said one of the teams involved in the exercise had been given the wrong briefing about the boundaries.

When asked if the soldier was from the SAS, Ms Pene said he was an army soldier.

- NZPA