Auckland, Aug 1 (IANS): Police in New Zealand have been allowed to do anything to protect themselves from attackers - including bite, gouge out eyes or even growl at offenders.

Policemen are being told "anything goes", and whatever action they choose to take - as long as it saves their lives - they will be backed by police bosses, the New Zealand Herald reported.

The move came after a senior constable, Bruce Lamb, and a constable, Mitchel Alatalo, were shot at by a gunman while on a routine check in Christchurch.

Lamb was shot in the jaw and Alatalo in the leg, while Lamb's police dog named Gage was shot to death.

Superintendent Dave Cliff, district commander of Canterbury, said if officers were in such a situation where they feared for their lives, they could use whatever means necessary to get away safely.

"If there is someone with a knife, or someone comes at them with a baseball bat - there are no rules," he said.

"You've got to do everything possible to save your own life. In that scenario, you'd bite, scream, do whatever you had to do."