Police cordoned off part of Petone this morning after a beeping package was delivered to the New Zealand Racing Board building.

The army bomb disposal unit was called and searches undertaken of the NZRB National Office to establish whether to destroy the package there or take it away and deal with it, said Inspector Mike Coleman of police central communications.  Police bomb dogs were used to search the NZRB building.

The package was about A4 in size and was beeping. It was delivered about 8.15am.  Traffic between Jackson St Victoria St and Hutt Rd was closed to traffic.  By 11.00am the incident had been identified as non threatening the offending object identified as a cellphone couriered to the NZRB and the situation was down graded with roads re-opened.

Nearby businesses Briscoes and The Warehouse were also evacuated.

Evacuees at the time were taken to the Petone railway station.

 Photos of incident from Edna_Phillips here Thanks Edna