Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Police investigating gunshots at Whangarei station

Updated at 10:12 pm on 22 August 2012

Police say they have a clear idea of who shot at a surburban police station in Whangarei on Wednesday morning.

They say no-one was in the building when the shots were fired shortly before 4:30am but the gunshots damaged the walls and windows of the Otangarei Neighbourhood Team Policing base in Matai Street.

Police were out in force in Otangarei this week to oversee the eviction of a family that has been refusing to leave a state house that was rented by their mother until her death several months ago.

Inspector Tracy Phillips told Radio New Zealand's Checkpoint programme she believes the eviction and the the shots were directly linked.

"The big deal is that no-one was actually hurt, the place was empty. So our people are fine and no-one in the neighbourhood was hurt.

"We've got some very good lines of inquiry. We had an eviction and it would be very naive of us to say that we don't have any lines of inquiry."

Ms Phillips says it could have been a tragic outcome and says police are refusing to be intimidated by anyone.

An investigation is underway and people with any information should contact police.

Listen to Checkpoint interview with Tracy Phillips

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