Demolition party sparked by 'Kelly Browne'

By PATRICK GOWER

When a party got out of control at Dave Biddiss' flat it was like a nightmare version of the party at "Kelly Browne's."

Mimicking the television ad in which a party spins out of control when everyone in town hears about it, the farewell party at Wharf Rd, Albany, on Saturday night went awry and ended with police having to disperse hundreds of revellers.

"Everything was going along fine until the police arrived in the afternoon and asked if we were planning a big party," said Mr Biddiss, aged 18.

"We said we weren't and they said: 'Well, you'd better start planning for gatecrashers, people have been talking about it on Radio Hauraki.'"

Mr Biddiss said he and his flatmates had wanted only 30 or 40 friends over but more than 300 revellers turned up.

The crowd was dispersed by police - along with other out-of-control suburban parties in Castor Bay, Glendene, Te Atatu and Remuera.

The problem with youth parties on the North Shore has prompted Mayor George Wood and MP Wayne Mapp to call for an increase in police numbers for the area.

Radio Hauraki operations manager Grant Hislop said no DJ would have broadcast the address, but it was possible an outside caller could have given it on the request line.

Mr Biddiss said: "This big guy turned up who I'd never seen before in my life and when I asked who'd invited him he told me he'd heard about it over the Internet."

Mr Biddiss said it had been rumoured it was an "eviction party" even though they had paid their rent and given their notice.

"I really started to worry when people started to arrive saying they were here for a demolition party. I didn't want our house trashed just because of some ... whispers and rumours."

Mr Biddiss' father, Doug, said it was a real concern if the party's address had been broadcast on radio.

"Word's going to get around as it is. Anyone who is planning a party over here has to be very careful," he said.

Mr Biddiss sen and his son believe the weekend's events had little to do with the new lower drinking age as most of the people at the party were 18 or over.

"It's an indication of a small group of the youth on the Shore. They're just there to create bedlam. There's no way people can get together and have a fun gathering any more."

The Wharf St flat's landlord, Ken Ryba, said that while the tenants were "a bit young and immature" at times, they had otherwise been responsible tenants.

He was mainly concerned that the party seemed to have been widely publicised. "If that's the case, the radio stations are not taking responsibility for their own conduct."

Police were pleased with the way Dave Biddiss and his flatmates cooperated but were concerned by the existence of a small, hardcore group who turned up at parties and used the cover of the crowd to cause trouble.

North Shore area manager Inspector Mike Hill said there were "certainly similar faces that turn up each week."

Police were prepared to use plainclothes officers to infiltrate the parties and remove the troublemakers early on.