Boy obsessed with bombs sparks late-night evacuation

A 14-year-old boy obsessed with explosives was at the centre of a chemical scare that led to the late-night evacuation of 30 people near Motueka.

Police said a potentially explosive cocktail of chemicals and bomb-making equipment were found at the boy's Mapua home after chemicals were reported stolen from Motueka High School earlier on Wednesday.

The recovered chemicals were taken to the police station where a staff member noticed about 7pm that one of the containers was leaking.

An emergency was declared and about 30 nearby residents and guests from a backpackers were evacuated to the fire station about 8pm.

Members of the Defence Force bomb disposal team flew to Motueka from Trentham in the Hutt Valley to deal with the scare.

Half those evacuated were not allowed to return to their homes until early yesterday morning, after a cordon covering a 100m radius of the police station was lifted.

A bomb disposal team member, Staff Sergeant Matt Dyson, said that among the equipment seized was something close to the final stages of a bomb.

Senior Sergeant Grant Andrews said the boy was charged with possession of explosives, making a hazardous substance and burglary and would appear in the Nelson Youth Court.

- NZPA