Five people are facing a raft of drug charges in relation to the importation of nearly $500,000 worth of methamphetamine.

A grieving mother has been left devastated after discovering items from her son's grave have been stolen from Kelvin Grove Cemetery in Palmerston North.

A young woman suffered numerous injuries when she was pinned by a vehicle that crashed in Manawatu yesterday.

Two elderly women who were killed when a car lost control and crashed into a ditch in Manawatu early this morning have been named by police.

Two people are dead and four are injured after their vehicle lost control and ended up in a ditch in Manawatu overnight.

A 15-year-old boy led police on a 50km chase through Manawatu in a stolen vehicle yesterday, police say.

An 18-year-old woman who was thrown 15 metres in a crash in Apiti on Friday died in hospital.

A young woman was thrown 15 metres from a vehicle following a crash in the Manawatu region early today.

A woman is in hospital on life support following a crash in the Manawatu region in the early hours of this morning.

A home invasion at a rural Manawatu property turned violent when a woman couldn't comply with her attackers' demands this morning.

One child remains in hospital after two young children were pulled from a burning car in a Palmerston North supermarket carpark today.

A 20-year-old man who died in a fiery road accident had managed to turn his life around and become a caring young father, a youth worker says.

Six people have been arrested in a two-day sting targeting methamphetamine supply ring in Manawatu.

The controversial Lundy Three Hundy car rally will go ahead this weekend despite fears of protests, its organiser says.

Vehicle Inspection New Zealand has said the death of one of its workers was a tragic and unfortunate accident.

A man has died after being crushed by a vehicle at a Palmerston North vehicle testing facility this afternoon.

A man has been taken to hospital in serious condition after a truck crash in Manawatu.

A series of crashes involving trucks has kept emergency services busy around the North Island today.

Abuse and Rape Crisis Support Manawatu is reducing its counselling hours after government funding cuts.

The Manawatu Gorge has reopened to all traffic again after being plagued by a series of slips. - but a small rockfall means it may have to briefly shut again.