Just two days after Mongrel Mob members stormed a 21st birthday in Bridge Pa armed with machetes, members of the Wairoa mob attacked two men associated with the Black Power gang at a service station in the town.
The incident brought to six the number of violent gang-related incidents in the
region since the start of the month.
The clash also sparked tension between the town's rival gangs which last spilled over in 2006 with a drive-by shooting. Police numbers in the town were bolstered at that time due to both Mongrel Mob and Black Power members having to appear in court. Wairoa Police Sergeant Aubrey Ormond said yesterday's confrontation happened just after 2pm when two men described as having an ``association' with Black Power stopped at a service station to fill their car up. While they were doing so a car carrying three patched members of the Mongrel Mob and a couple of affiliates appeared.'
``They got out with a baseball bat and golf club and a number of bottles were thrown,' Mr Ormond said. ``Police were called and we got there before any blows were struck.' Fortunately the police station was only a few hundred metres from the petrol station. He said by the time police arrived all five had managed to get hold of various implements to use in the fight and all were facing charges of possessing offensive weapons. More serious charges were possible.
Service station staff and other members of the public ducked for cover while the gang members fronted up to each other - although the quick intervention by the four police who arrived prevented them coming to blows.
All five appeared in the Wairoa District Court yesterday and were remanded on bail out of town. They are scheduled to appear again early next month.
