Opunake was in lock down early this morning as police negotiated with a gunman holding a woman hostage in a hotel room.

Eyewitnesses told the Taranaki Daily News the man, armed with a rifle, had barged into the Headlands Hotel and restaurant in the Taranaki town at about 9.30pm.

He left the restaurant with a woman, believed to be an employee, and was early this morning found in a room in the hotel.

The armed offenders squad was sent from New Plymouth and police had cordoned off streets surrounding the hotel .

An Opunake resident said the man was known to locals, and it was believed the woman he took hostage was his ex-girlfriend.

"Come on Anthony, come talk to me," the police negotiator could be heard saying. However, the gunman was refusing to cooperate.



It was not known what condition the woman was in but it was understood that she had been injured.

Kathy Muggeridge was dining at the restaurant when a gunman burst in.

She said she had gone to pay when she noticed the chef on the phone.

"I immediately thought something was up just by looking at him and that was when the guy pointed the gun at everyone in the restaurant and told us to get out. He was yelling at us to get out and I just yelled at the girls to move, move, move and we all ran for the front door."

She said she was part of a group of seven and another group of four were also dining at the time.

"One of the girls I was with saw most of what had gone on and she had noticed police approaching the restaurant while the guy was in a room just off the restaurant talking to the waitress.

"As soon as the guy saw police approaching he pulled out a gun and that was when he pointed it ... and told us to go."

Muggeridge said her friend said she saw the gunman beating up the waitress and dragging her across the floor.

She said as they left the building several police had started to move nearer the property.

Muggeridge saw a number of police vehicles including the AOS driving into the township from the north as they headed out.