Child used in home invasion

Knife-wielding robbers used a young boy to con a homeowner into opening his door.

The well-planned hit started at 7pm when the 59-year-old victim opened his front door to a boy, aged six to eight, claiming to be selling chocolate bars to raise funds for his school.

He was about to shut the door when two men, aged in their 20s to 30s and possibly Maori, appeared, pushing him down onto the floor of his Napier home.

"It is pretty obvious they used the child to break in," Detective John McGregor said this morning.

Pulling a hood over the head of the man - a weapon collector - the men ripped out the phone connection and used the cord and tape to tie him up.

Threatening him with a knife to his throat, they demanded he open his weapons cabinet. The pair spent about an hour choosing weapons from the man's large collection of arms.

The 30-40 weapons taken, mainly hand guns and rifles, were only a part of the total collection. Most of the stolen arms were not in working order.

Although not physically hurt in the attack, Mr McGregor said the victim was "pretty shaken up".

Police now fear the 30 to 40 rifles and handguns taken in the break-in could be used in gang fights and for armed robberies.

"It is not good having these firearms in the criminal underworld," said Mr McGregor, who declined to provide further details about the victim, including the suburb where he lives in Napier.

Security was very good at the house, he said.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY