Five O'clock Report for Thursday 18 January 2018

5:13 PM.The Police have launched an investigation into the abuse of a four month old kitten which was set alight. Audio

5:18 PM.A leading public health expert says the delay of the national bowel cancer screening programme is an opportunity to dump what he calls a flawed system that won't stop anyone developing the disease. Audio

5:21 PM.Birkenhead locals are calling for a clean-up of an area that they say was once an urban oasis that was home to birds, fish and eel. Audio

5:24 PM.A growing around the problem in our busy world is loneliness. Audio

5:27 PM.Police are frustrated with the number of people having to be rescued from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Audio

5:57 PM.The Queenstown mayor says locals are fed up with people treating the "outdoor areas like a giant toilet", leaving their waste in public places. Audio