Police are investigating after a hydroponic drug setup was found at a house in Port Macquarie at the weekend.

About 4am (Saturday 19 March 2016), a three-year-old boy was found by a member of the public walking along Gordon Street wearing only a nappy. Officers from the Mid North Coast Local Area Command were contacted and attended.

As part of their inquiries, officers attended a Hollingworth Street residence. While at the residence, police allege cannabis plants were located, along with equipment used in their cultivation.

A crime scene was established as further investigations were conducted. A search warrant was executed and 17 cannabis plants, more than 300g of cannabis, an unregistered firearm and a prohibited weapon were seized.

About 4.45pm, a 39-year-old woman attended Port Macquarie Police Station and was charged with two offences including, take part in enhanced indoor cultivation of prohibited plants in presence of children, and take action that results in health/physical damage to a child.

She was granted conditional bail to appear at Port Macquarie Local Court on Wednesday 6 April 2016.

Other agencies have been notified.

A man has been charged after he allegedly climbed on top of a stationary train in the Hunter Valley yesterday.

About 1.30pm (Sunday 20 March 2016), police will allege a man entered the railway corridor at Chillcotts Creek, approximately 3km south of Willow Tree.

He then climbed on top of a stationary coal train and refused to come down.

Officers from Hunter Valley Local Area Command and Police Rescue attended and about 5pm were able to assist the man from the top of the locomotive, where he was arrested.

A 33-year-old man from Queensland was taken to Muswellbrook Police Station and charged with obstructing a railway and trespassing.

He was granted conditional bail to appear before Scone Local Court on Thursday 24 March 2016.

A woman has been charged after crashing her car into a parked police vehicle and police station north of Newcastle yesterday.

About midday (Saturday 19 March 2016), a red Ford Falcon XR6 sedan crashed into a marked police vehicle, parked outside Raymond Terrace Police Station.

Police will allege the woman driving the Ford then reversed into the police vehicle again, before driving along a footpath and crashing into the corner of the police station.

The building itself sustained minor damage and a gate outside the station was also damaged.

The police vehicle was extensively damaged.

A 40-year-old woman driving the Ford was taken to the Mater Hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing.

Upon her return to Raymond Terrace Police Station, she was charged with several offences:

– Drive manner dangerous;

– Negligent driving;

– Malicious damage;

– Fail to supply blood and urine; and

– Drive under influence of drug.

The woman was granted conditional bail to appear before Raymond Terrace Local Court on Monday 11 April 2016.

A woman died and her four children were injured after a crash in the Hunter Valley.
About 5.45pm yesterday (Friday 18 March 2016), a Toyota Kluger being driven by a 49-year-old woman was travelling south on the Golden Highway, Sandy Hollow, west of Denman, when the vehicle left the roadway while negotiating a right hand bend.

The car collided with a large fence post before rolling and hitting a telegraph pole.

The driver died at the scene. Four child passengers, including twin girls aged 15, another girl aged 5, and a 12-year-old boy, were all taken to John Hunter Hospital for treatment to minor injuries.

Police from Hunter Valley Local Area Command attended and conducted inquiries.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Lake Macquarie police have arrested and charged two men with drug and fraud offences following an investigation.

On 8 March 2016 a number of credit cards were stolen from vehicles in the Floraville area.

Numerous transactions were made with the stolen credit cards at varies locations across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie and an investigation commenced by Lake Macquarie Property Crime Unit.

About 10.30am yesterday (Wednesday 16 March 2016) police arrested two men in the vicinity of Perkins Street and taken to Newcastle Police Station.

Police also allegedly seized a number of credit cards and an amount of drugs.

The 29-year-old man was charged with five counts of dishonestly obtain property by deception and two counts of possess prohibited drug.

The 27-year-old man was charged with six counts of dishonestly obtain property by deception.

Both men were refused bail and will appear in Newcastle Local Court today (Thursday 17 March 2016).

Police are appealing for public assistance after a girl was approached in Mayfield yesterday.

About 3.30pm (Tuesday 15 March 2016), a 12-year-old girl was walking along Sunderland Street when a white car stopped nearby.

Police have been told the male passenger got out and walked away. The male driver got out, approached the girl and yelled out to her.

The girl turned around and ran away, meeting up with her brother in the next street.

Officers from Newcastle City Local Area Command were notified and commenced an investigation into the incident.

Police are urging any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

Police will address the media after a woman was arrested of a woman over the disappearance of Leonie Astra Hutchinson in the Hunter Valley 15 years ago.

Investigators believe Leonie was 16 months old when she disappeared from her home in Scone sometime around January 2001.

As a result of on-going inquiries, detectives attached to Strike Force Kanuna, arrested a 43-year-old woman at her home, in Evans Head, on the Far North Coast, about 7.30am today (Wednesday 16 March 2016).

The woman was taken to Lismore Police Station where she is expected to be charged with one count of murder.

A man has died after a car and bus collided in the Lake Macquarie region.
About 3.40pm (Tuesday 15 March 2016) police were called to Freemans Drive, Cooranbong, after a car collided with a school bus with about 30 school children on board.

The male driver of the car died at the scene. He was the sole occupant. He is not yet identified.

None of the school children were injured. They are being moved onto another bus to be conveyed from the scene.

Police from Lake Macquarie Local Area Command are conducting inquiries at the scene.

Freemans Drive is closed in both directions, diversions are in place.

No further information is available at this stage.

A funeral service will be held tomorrow (Monday 14 March 2016) for Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson at Christ Church Cathedral in Church Street, Newcastle.

The service will begin at 11.30am and is expected to run for about one hour.

This will be a full police funeral, including a valedictory read by NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione, and a marching escort and roadside guard of honour after the church service.

The valedictory will be sent to media via the normal Police Media Unit channels after the service. Commissioner Scipione will also address media at the conclusion of all formalities.

The service will be broadcast via speakers outside the cathedral.