Bomb scare in Tauranga

The man at the centre of a bomb threat in Tauranga has been arrested after police stormed the hotel he was holed up in.

A 57-year-old Slovakian man went into the Devonport Towers on Thursday morning and threatened to blow himself up, which prompted the evacuation of downtown Tauranga.

After a 12-hour standoff, armed police entered the building and arrested him at 12.30am on Friday. The man did not resist arrest and no explosives were found.

Late on Thursday night he was holed up in a room while police negotiators tried to speak to him. Earlier he had said he had wanted to speak to Prime Minister Helen Clark.

He was on the fifth floor of the Devonport Towers with what he said were two suitcases packed with explosives.

One News understands the man has lived in New Zealand for four years and works in Tauranga shelling mussels.

Hotel owner Paul Bowker says the man demanded a room in the hotel. When he was told there were no rooms available, he then demanded to talk to the prime minister.

Inspector Murray Lewis of the Bay of Plenty police says they evacuated approximately 200 square metres surrounding the hotel.

Matthew Ham, who shared a room with the man at the local backpackers, says the Slovakian was upset about being forced to leave New Zealand.

Other travellers say the man lived at the backpackers for three months and gave no warning he was about to do something so dramatic.

Town is about 20 minutes walk from my place. This shit is too close for comfort. Dumb fuck, hope he gets deported.