Northland Police have arrested and charged a man in relation to a bomb threat that was made to a Whangarei rest home on Saturday.

Twenty-nine elderly residents of the Shalom Rest Home had to be evacuated in temperature of 28 degrees, after a hoax call claiming there was a bomb underneath the property.

Police searched the property and no device was found.

A 50-year-old local man was arrested and charged late yesterday afternoon, and will appear in the Whangarei District Court this morning.

"We've charged this man with threatening to cause harm.

This carries a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment.

"We hope that this sends a serious message to anyone who thinks this type of hoax is a light-hearted offence.

Police take any threat like this extremely seriously.

"You will be found and we will hold you to account," says Inspector Al Symonds, Northland Police.

Source: New Zealand Police.