An intermediate school principal who had to pay $800 to a "renegade" group of Matauri Bay residents to free cars from wheel clamps on a school trip will get the money back after police were called in to investigate.
Kamo Intermediate School principal John Smith paid $800 to free four cars clamped when students recently went to Matauri Bay for a surfing lesson.
A group calling itself Ngati Kura Inc clamped the cars and turned up with a portable eftpos machine for Mr Smith to pay the money.
Matauri X, the incorporation that administers Maori-owned land at Matauri Bay, said Ngati Kura Inc is a renegade band of hapu members with no authority to impose wheel clamping in the area.
Maori Land Court-appointed administrator of Matauri X, Kevin Gillespie, said that hapu group would get the money back for Mr Smith and had removed the clamping signs from the bay.