A 79-year-old is in hospital after an aggravated burglary in Wairoa in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Police said the elderly man who is in a "serious but stable condition" was assaulted when an unknown offender broke into a Brian Avenue home about 2.25am yesterday, while the man was in bed.
"The offender left the address with a cell phone and a portable landline phone. Enquiries are ongoing to determine if anything else was taken."
Detective Sergeant Sam Park said police have completed a scene examination and are making enquiries in the area but are also asking for the public to share any information which may assist their enquiries.
The offender is described as a male, about 170cm (5’7”) tall, of slim build, with a scarf wrapped around his face.
“This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated, and we would like to reassure the public that we are doing all we can to identify and locate this individual to hold them to account for their actions.”