A suspicious package placed outside a Taranaki police station was lost property that a member of the public had handed in, police say.
The Hawera station was closed, a road cordoned off and the bomb squad called in when the briefcase-sized black metal box was found propped against the building'sfront door earlier today.
About 12.45pm a member of the public came forward to tell authorities it was lost property handed in, Inspector Mike Coleman from central police communications said.