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A "stunt" at weekend Super 14 rugby matches where people dressed as terrorists has been slammed by Police Minister Judith Collins.
The Sunday Star-Times newspaper allegedly sent reporters to Waikato Stadium and Christchurch's AMI Stadium carrying fake bombs in backpacks.
It is claimed they wandered through the crowds and may have accessed restricted areas, although AMI says that did not happen at its venue.
Police spokesman Jon Neilson says Police National Headquarters is aware of the incidents, but it is unlikely criminal action will be taken.
"We are aware of the situation and have been looking into it. But at this stage, it would not appear that there has been any offence committed," he says.
Neilson says while police have a view on such behaviour, at this stage any comments about it are being left to Collins.
He says he does not know how many people were involved.
Collins says: "The actions are unbelievably stupid and irresponsible. This stunt had the potential to result in games being called off and stadiums evacuated."
Such action would have not only caused great public inconvenience and cost, but could have presented a risk to the safety of spectators, she says.
"Common sense would tell you that running around a stadium dressed as a bomber has the potential to end very badly. If there had been panic there was the very real possibility that people - particularly the elderly, children and those less mobile - could have been hurt."
Collins says the only outcome from people masquerading as bombers would be unnecessary increases in security being implemented at considerable cost and inconvenience to the public and she had no plans to do that, in response to the hoax.
"If police were to overreact or the stadium were to overreact and to have body searches or airport type security for provincial rugby games, Kiwis would quite rightly say 'For goodness sake this is New Zealand, this is rugby, this is what we do on a Saturday or Friday night'."
The Sunday Star-Times is refusing to comment.
