A man who stole a police car during a manhunt that spanned 270km has pleaded guilty to a number of charges.

Family harm is on the rise as women find it harder to escape their abusers during Covid-19 restrictions.

Two police constables have been stood down as a precaution, after being spat on by a woman who later claimed to have Covid-19 symptoms.

There were 1122 breaches of New Zealand's Covid-19 lockdown rules in Counties Manukau alone during alert level 4, new data has revealed.

Mongol bike gang members will no longer be allowed to set foot in schools, courts and other government buildings while wearing their patches.

The trial of police armed response teams in Canterbury ends on Sunday.