Fancy-dress terrorist sparks bomb scare

ROGER MORONEY | 2nd March 2010

Fancy-dress terrorist sparks bomb scareCAPTION2A man who went to a fancy-dress party dressed as a terrorist, complete with fake explosives strapped to his chest, ended up sparking a major bomb scare in Havelock North yesterday.

It was a combination of the costume and a soccer match on the weekend that led to people attending a daycare centre at Guthrie Park coming across what appeared to be several sticks of explosives, complete with a wick, taped to a small board.

The drama began about 3.20pm when parents and youngsters arrived at the Havelock North Wanderers Soccer Club as part of an after school daycare programme.

A parent spotted what appeared to be sticks of explosive and called police.

``We took a look and made an assessment,'' a police spokesman said. ``Cordons were set up and we closed and evacuated Oderings, and awaited advice from the bomb squad.''

A staffer at the Brookvale Rd garden store said they received the word to shut up shop and leave about 3.45pm.

``We had two or three customers in the shop at the time when the police arrived and said there was a bomb scare.''

While the trade lost was not substantial, the incident had been ``upsetting'' for staff.

Police began making inquiries with people who had been at the park during the weekend, and the trail led them to discover that a fancy-dress party had been staged nearby.

``We spoke to some people who had been to the party and they said someone had gone as a terrorist wearing a fake bomb,'' the police spokesman said.

A couple of the partygoers went to the scene and confirmed the object had been part of the costume.

They further explained that the partygoers had gone down to the park to have a game of soccer, and took off some of their costuming to take part.

``It was unintentionally left there,'' the police spokesman said.

While police were relieved they were not entirely impressed with the choice of costuming.

No charges had been laid.