Police want to catch an "idiot" who put a crude, homemade pipe bomb into a skip bin behind a business, prompting bomb disposal experts to race to the city.

Police are warning youngsters who present fake ID they could be charged with fraud as bar owners uncover the latest technique for creating dodgy driving licences.

A teenage girl has been charged with the murder of a 17-year-old who collapsed and died while shopping in Whangarei.

A man who murdered an Auckland man with a thistle grubber has been jailed for life with a non-parole period of 21 years.

House builders and buyers are creating a buzz on Whangarei's Tutukaka coast, as Aucklanders and expats have ramped up purchases of coastal property this year.

A teenager who collapsed and died at The Warehouse in Whangarei on Tuesday was the victim of a stabbing in Onerahi just over three weeks ago.

Police have issued a warning after reports of a man hiding in bushes taking photos of students at a Whangarei school.

A grieving father extended an olive branch of forgiveness to the man who killed his daughter and another driver during an emotional court address.

Police are investigating after a 17-year-old collapsed and died in a Whangarei store today.

A Whangarei motorcyclist is in a serious condition after a collision with a car on State Highway 1 near Waipu.

A Whangarei school teacher dismissed for speaking out against what he called discriminatory comments by his catholic school principal is a keynote speaker at a national marriage equality conference.

A man has been arrested after allegedly firing a high-powered air rifle at passing vehicles on an isolated Whangarei road, with one car carrying a pregnant woman.

Northland's grim road toll continues after a woman was killed when a logging truck, trying to avoid another vehicle, rolled and crushed the car she was a passenger in.

Plans by the Northland DHB to privately fund an extension to Whangarei Hospital will only lead to taxpayers footing the bill if the deal sours, says Labour.

A Northland headmaster has written to John Key about his concerns over banning drug sniffer dogs from schools, saying it is "short-sighted nonsense".

A Whangarei man bashed his former partner unconscious and raped her during a drinking session because he was jealous of others in her life, a jury has heard.

A 17-year-old was "almost disembowelled'' when he was knifed by another teenager at a party in Whangarei yesterday, police say.

The mother of a young woman found dead near a Whangarei bridge says the family have been overwhelmed by support and compassion.

Inadequate training of crew in the use of navigation systems was one of several factors that grounded a navy barge in Whangarei on Waitangi Day, an inquiry finds.