Around 150 friends and family of an award-winning director wrote messages in the sand and stepped into the water in an emotional service and tribute at the New Zealand beach where he was killed by a huge shark.

A shark possibly 4.2m long killed a swimmer near a popular New Zealand beach, then disappeared after police attempting to save the man fired gunshots at the enormous predator.

A shark said to have been up to 14ft long killed a swimmer near a popular New Zealand beach today, then disappeared after police attempting to save the man fired at the predator.