Police respond to reports of brawl in Western Heights

Police have responded to a fight involving up to 15 people in Western Heights, Rotorua.

Police were called to Russell Cres at 11.40am after an emergency call from a resident.

A reporter at the scene said at least 10 police cars were there and the road was partially blocked by them.

Police on Russell Cres. Photo / Ben Fraser

A group of people were being held on the street and were talking to the police.

A police media spokeswoman said there was no fighting when the police arrived and there were no arrests at this stage.

She said the fight was a dispute between two families who were known to each other.

Police are still at the scene.

A man working near the property said he had called police after a woman came out onto the street visibly distressed and wailing that "things were way out of control".

Police on Russell Cres. Photo / Ben Fraser

"I had a peek through the fence and there were about 10 people brawling each other. The females were in on it as well.

"It was all happening in the back yard. We could hear glass smashing and I saw a chair flying through the air."

He said multiple cars kept coming to the property with more and more people joining the fight.

"It was kind of like a reinforcement type situation.

"It was quite extreme to hear especially the females getting hit."

Russell Cres resident Violet Spenning said the street had been filled with cars and a lot of people for the last three to four days.

She believed people had gathered there to mourn the man who was shot and killed last Tuesday.

Spenning said there had been a lot of what appeared to be partying over the last few days.

A police media spokeswoman said it was understood the tangi was yesterday.

A St John spokeswoman said staff had been advised of the incident but were not on scene.