Police show 'zero tolerance' over white powder hoax

Firefighters put a Whitcoulls' employee through a decontamination shower after he opened an envelope containing a white powder at their Lambton Quay store. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Police are vowing to track down and prosecute whoever sent an envelope full of white powder to Whitcoulls in Wellington's Lambton Quay this morning.

The powder was eventually identified as talcum but not before 40 police, fire, Defence Force, Ministry of Health and Wellington City Council staff spent two hours at the scene.

A staff member opened the envelope, addressed only to Whitcoulls, about 9.20am and the Gilmer Terrace entrance to the store's loading bay was closed for two hours until the army bomb disposal unit established it was talcum powder.

Senior Sergeant Shannon Clifford said police took a dim view of anyone responsible for such a crime.

"Doing something like this for malicious purposes or as a practical joke is a serious waste of emergency resources, which might be needed elsewhere in the prevention of a crime or saving someone's life,'' he said.

"This will be treated very seriously. Investigation will follow and hopefully lead to the prosecution of the person who did this.

"We take a zero tolerance on people wasting emergency services and resources.''

There had been no contact from whoever was responsible but police had "a few'' leads to follow up.

The man who opened the envelope spilled some on his hands and had to be decontaminated by the Fire Services, as did a firefighter.

The Whitcoulls employee was speaking to counsellors following the experience.

"Obviously opening an envelope with a substance unknown to you is going to be uncomfortable for anyone and it's going to play on their emotions,'' Mr Clifford said.

"It's just lucky we were able to do an examination here at the scene to determine what the powder was and give a bit of comfort and ease to that person to know they're no longer at risk.''

Fire Service senior station officer John Mansford said the large emergency services turnout was needed in case the situation was major.

Whitcoulls remained open during the incident.