Lighter side: Tiny terror closes court

What has six legs, jumps great distances and has the same effect on an Auckland courtroom as a bomb scare?

One of the New Zealand’s busiest courtrooms was shut last weekend thanks to some tiny culprits – fleas.

Courtroom 1 at Auckland District Court was shut last Saturday after staff noticed fleas, a Ministry of Justice spokesman confirmed to the New Zealand Herald.

Staff members were able to de-flea the courtroom in time for Monday’s hearings, and on Wednesday a spokesman said there had been no further complaints.

"Courtrooms are busy places that see a high volume of people from all walks of life come through the doors on any given day, whether they are working or appearing in the courtroom, or have come along to watch from the public gallery,” the ministry said in a statement to the Herald.

"Courtroom 1 at the Auckland District Court, which deals with general list matters, is one of the busiest courtrooms in the country."

The courts are cleaned every day and regularly fumigated, the spokesman said.