A suspected improvised explosive device (IED) that sparked an emergency services callout in Dunedin today has been found to be a student project.
A 21-year-old Otago Polytechnic student contacted police and told them he had several days ago attached five pinhole cameras to the Koremata St overbridge at Burnside to monitor traffic.
The cameras had been mistaken for a possible IED by members of the public and resulted in an emergency services callout.
Dunedin Emergency Commander, Inspector Alastair Dickie, said police were still investigating whether charges would be laid.
Traffic was diverted from the southbound lane of the southern motorway out of Dunedin and some residents in the area were evacuated while the incident was being attended to. All affected roads are now re-opened.
ENDS