Man beaten up in midday gang attack in Rotorua

A Black Power member who made an "offensive gesture" at a group of passing Mongrel Mob members spurred a midday attack in Rotorua on Monday.

A police spokeswoman said police received multiple reports from members of the public about an assault at the intersection of Old Taupō Rd and Devon St at 12.45pm on Monday.

She said four to six people were involved and initial reports indicated one person was beaten by a group of people who had arrived in multiple cars.

The group fled when police arrived and no arrests were made as police tended to the victim.

Acting Rotorua area commander Inspector Phil Taikato said the isolated incident was a man by himself who made an offensive gesture to members of the Mongrel Mob.

Taikato said while the assault was between people who were members of different gangs, the incident did not reflect gang tension in the city.

The person assaulted did not want to make a formal complaint and Taikato said this made it difficult to look into the case.

Taikato said what happened had nothing to do with the large gang presence in town yesterday.

More than 200 Mongrel Mob members in Rotorua for the tangi of patched member Rex Maney and Taikato said there were no issues.

Maney was a patched member of the Mongrel Mob and known to law enforcement. He died last Wednesday and was buried at Pikirangi Marae, Rotokawa, Rotorua.