Group of young men shoot fireworks at police in Dunedin

Police were shot at with fireworks after a group of young men playing with the pyrotechnics caused a fire in Dunedin early this morning. Photo / 123RF

Police were shot at with fireworks after a group of young men playing with the pyrotechnics caused a fire in Dunedin early this morning.

Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen, of Dunedin, said a group of "young males'' were setting off fireworks down an alleyway in Castle St at 15 minutes past midnight this morning.

The men were aiming them at a pile of rubbish, which caught fire.

The rubbish was piled against a house, he said.

The tenants woke up and put the fire out.

While police were speaking with tenants another group of males shot fireworks in the same area.

The group then fired the fireworks at police before running off.

All men were yet to be located and inquiries were ongoing.

Police urged people to treat fireworks with respect and common sense, "unlike the moronic acts displayed by this group of males," Snr Sgt Dinnissen said.

"If the fire had gone unnoticed this could have led to loss of life."

To aim fireworks at attending officers or anyone was "beyond comprehension", he said.