Police look in to death threats against power boss

Police are investigating threats made to Transpower's chief executive as public outrage over Transpower's proposal for a new transmission line through the central North Island grows.

Security guards and a police officer, who turned up armed, were called in to attend the final public progress meeting on the project in Clevedon on Thursday night.

The project, if it goes ahead, will see pylons up to 70 metres high carrying 400kV lines across private land in the Waikato and South of Auckland.

Transpower communications manager Chris Roberts said written threats detailing physical harm against Transpower chief executive Ralph Craven had been received and forwarded to police who were investigating.

He said the police presence at the meeting in Clevedon was not requested by Transpower, who had employed private security guards, but police had obviously thought it was appropriate.

"We had to increase security at the progress meetings after the Tirau meeting.

"Staff did feel verbally and physically intimidated."

Furious landowners have been protesting at progress meetings throughout the Waikato in the past fortnight saying the lines will devalue their properties, hinder land use and cause ill health.

In Tirau last week effigies of Helen Clark and Mr Craven were burned on a model pylon and Transpower staff were abused.

At the final meeting in Clevedon on Thursday night five security guards and the police officer attended but residents who went contacted the Herald angry the police officer was carrying a gun.

The officer, from the Papakura police station, was armed with a glock pistol, but police inspector Dave Montgomery said the firearm had nothing to do with the meeting.