A man has been charged with threatening to kill following a bomb threat at a bus terminal in Napier.
Police say the 29-year-old was a passenger on a Newmans Coach Lines service from Hastings to Tauranga on Wednesday and threatened to use a home-made explosive device on the bus.
Police say the driver got the other passengers off the bus and alerted authorities after becoming concerned about the man's behaviour during a scheduled stopover outside the Napier Travel Centre about 11.35am.
The Armed Offenders Squad was called and surrounded the bus terminal. Fifteen homes and the travel centre were cordoned off at Munroe Street.
Police negotiators were in contact with the man throughout the afternoon and said he surrendered quietly following a four-hour standoff.
Police said the man has a history of mental illness and it is not yet known what prompted his actions.
A scene examination was being carried out to determine whether the man in fact had any explosives.
The man will appear on Thursday in Napier District Court.
InterCity, which owns Newmans Coach Lines, said the incident caused disruptions to services throughout the North Island.
