A man with connections to the Bay of Plenty is wanted in relation to a shooting in Invercagill.

A warrant to arrest has been issued in relation to Anthony Miles Tamaiti Watkins.

The warrant is in relation to the shooting of a 52-year-old man on Kelvin Street Invercargill on Saturday 30th June 2018.

Watkins is 24-years of age and approximately 167cm in height. He has connections to Invercargill, Dunedin and the Bay of Plenty, says Detective Senior Sergeant Stu Harvey.

"Watkins can be unpredictable so caution should be taken if any member of the public see him or have dealings with him.

"The victim in this matter is still in Southland Hospital recovering and it is unknown how long it will be before he is released."

Stu wishes to thank the members of the public for the assistance that was provided to him at the time of the incident and also to all the medical personnel who have been involved.

"Police would like to emphasise that he is a completely innocent party in this incident and he would like to maintain his privacy in regards to the assault.

"We understand the significant amount of interest in this matter, however, at this stage of our investigation, our officers are focused on establishing what has occurred and locating Watkins. We also may be limited in what we can say due to operational constraints.

"We will provide an update on any charges and court appearances as soon as we have details.

"We are not seeking anyone else in relation to this matter."

Anyone with any information on Watkins' whereabouts should contact Police on 111 or through Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.