Police have been contacted after a social housing trust in Christchurch was placed in lockdown following a stream of threats over the ripping up of an elderly woman's prize-winning vegetable garden.
The Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust's (ŌCHT) offices were locked down for an hour on Thursday morning after receiving multiple phone calls threatening violence.
It followed a breakdown in communication that meant 80-year-old Zhang Wang didn't know a digger was arriving at her social housing unit in Addington. Her garden was ripped up earlier this week before she could save her plants, sparking widespread backlash.
On Wednesday, a petition was launched urging the ŌCHT, which runs the units, to replace Wang's garden.
ŌCHT apologised on Wednesday and on Thursday morning began building raised gardens for Wang as compensation.
"The Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust does not always get things right," operations manager Martin Pearce said in a statement.
"It's a situation we regret. We're very sorry Mrs Wang was not told that the change she agreed to, relating to her garden area, was taking place this week."
Stuff earlier reported Wang's vegetable garden was ripped up over neighbour complaints.
