'Bomb site' left by Alexandra teen party

Alexandra police spent about three hours on Saturday night dealing with an out-of-control party in the town which attracted up to 80 teenagers, "full of booze and bravado", who turned a quiet street into a "bomb site," Senior Constable Mike Colligan said.

"At the end of the day, we're not babysitters. It's just crazy to spend two and a-half to three hours dealing with one party when we're supposed to be looking after the whole town," Snr Const Colligan said yesterday.

One neighbour said she would have appreciated being informed about the party in advance but the young people involved were not "bad kids - just kids being kids".

There was no adult supervision at the Ventry St party and Snr Const Colligan said partygoers damaged neighbours' gardens, broke bottles in the Alexandra Primary School grounds and on the street and footpaths, and damaged a street sign.

No arrests were made but a 14-year-old Alexandra youth would be referred to youth aid after he urinated on a fence and allegedly attempted to hit a police officer.

When approached by the Otago Daily Times yesterday, the 17-year-old girl who hosted the party said gatecrashers were responsible for most of the damage and broken bottles .

The girl, who declined to be named, said the gatecrashers were young teenagers but she would not describe the party as "out of control - that's crazy."

"We might have been a bit loud, but we certainly weren't causing a riot or anything."

Her parents were both out of town for the evening and about 20 people had been invited to the "dress-up" party at her home.

She provided a barbecue tea for the guests and a group of party-goers were out "bright and early" yesterday morning cleaning up the broken bottles and sweeping away the broken glass, she said.

Snr Const Colligan said "to their credit" the group had cleaned up the mess yesterday morning but on Saturday night it looked like a "bomb site."

He was concerned at how intoxicated the party-goers were.

Of the 80 teenagers present, "full of booze and bravado", only about 25 were causing trouble.

Police went to the property several times between 10.30pm and 2am to close down the party but each time, party-goers returned.

Two Alexandra police officers were involved and an officer from Cromwell also helped.

The police received numerous calls from neighbours concerned about their properties, he said.

There are pensioner flats near the house, and many of the residents in the area are elderly.

When contacted by the Otago Daily Times yesterday, neighbours John and Jean Harris said they would have appreciated being informed about the party in advance.

However, the young people involved were not "bad kids - just kids being kids", Mrs Harris said.

The police had done a good job, they said.

"And it was very good to see the kids out today [Sunday] cleaning up the mess and taking responsibility for their actions," Mr Harris said.

Their property was not damaged.

Another neighbour, who declined to be named, said she had no concerns aside from the excessive noise of the party.

The teenager who hosted the party said she planned to apologise to the neighbours about the noise.

lynda.van.kempen@odt.co.nz