Three Coromandel locals who set up a state highway roadblock have claimed they did so simply to protect their families.

The blockage sprung up as level four lockdown was implemented in response to a Covid-19 case, with strong links to Coromandel Town.

An eyewitness who spoke to the trio says they made their reasons perfectly clear, and that a subsequent police presence was on hand to 'keep the peace”.

Coromandel FM's John Grant was at the scene close to Manaia on the western side of the peninsula.

'There was a car parked diagonally across one of the lanes heading north,” says John, 'and a barrier across the other lane.

'Effectively they'd completely shut State Highway 25 off.

'They were three locals wearing scarves around their faces and looking pretty menacing. One of them had a big bamboo pole.

'But their aim was fairly simple – they felt a duty to protect their whānau from people coming through from Auckland.”

Police at the scene made it clear they were there to keep the peace and help avoid any issues.

'But they were quite concerned about people objecting (to the road block) and driving straight through them,” adds John.

'Their presence was to try and bring a degree of common sense to the situation.”

A police spokesperson later confirmed they were aware of an 'unauthorised community checkpoint” at Manaia Bridge in the Coromandel.

'We are working with those involved to ensure the situation is managed safely and calmly,” says the spokesperson.

'There have not been any arrests.

'We reiterate that as during previous Covid-19 alert level four restriction periods, there should be no need for community checkpoints.

'Police will maintain a visible presence in communities across New Zealand to ensure people's travel is for essential purposes only.”

'Those people have dispersed. Police did run a checkpoint in that location and we were able to turn around a large number of vehicles,” says Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.

'We've got this, and the best place for the community is safe at home.”