Posse spoiling for a fight

Rotorua police intercepted a posse of boys armed with a knife, a wheelbrace and an iron bar, on their way to attack students from another school.

The posse was from Rotorua Boys' High School - the school at the centre of a drug-test scandal in which a boy said that he'd been made to stand in his underwear in the classroom and drink 15 cups of water.

Now, the school is investigating allegations that one of its students pulled a knife in an after-school fight with boys from nearby John Paul College.

In an internal incident report, Boys' High principal Chris Grinter described the clash involving five of his students aged around 14 as a "gang-bashing".

Boys' High has a history as a top sports college; former students include golfer Danny Lee and several All Blacks.

The day after the fight, the Boys' High students are alleged to have armed themselves in preparation for retaliation. But police were alerted and intervened to stop another confrontation. They confiscated weapons, believed to have included a wheelbrace, an iron bar and a filleting knife.

On Friday afternoon, Boys' High students again congregated on a street between the two schools with an apparent view to retaliation, but no further violence eventuated.

A limited statutory manager, Dennis Finn, has been brought into the school by the Ministry of Education to investigate allegations from two families about the school's draconian drug-testing regime, and police have also spoken to the school about it.

Now, Finn says the school will be investigating this week's "serious issue", but would not comment further until more facts had come to light.

John Paul College Principal Patrick Walsh said he was working with Chris Grinter on an inquiry.

He said he was pleased with the response by Rotorua police, who he said had handled the matter promptly and well. Grinter, the Boys' High principal, said both schools were taking the incident seriously and were working closely with each other and the police to resolve the situation.

"This was clearly part of a youth gang culture that exists in this town," he said.

Rotorua police acting Sergeant Blair Yockney said a police presence this coming week would "make sure things don't escalate".

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: DAILY POST