5m Great White caught

A great white shark measuring almost 5m- ong has been caught seven nautical miles off Port Waikato on the west coast of the North Island.

The female shark was caught yesterday afternoon by a commercial fisherman, Warrick Harris, from the fishing boat he operates out of Port Waikato.

The catch was towed back to port and is being examined by researchers at Auckland University.

Mr Harris says it is the biggest shark he has seen in his time in an area not known for great white sharks.

He says its jaws are large enough to fit around a person's body.