Mountain Mardi Gras mayhem for police

Keeping ahead of the huge number of drunk, sick and staggering young revellers at the Mountain Mardi Gras was like shooting fish in a barrel, Ohakune police said yesterday.
Sergeant Mike Craig said, even though the popular event had been very well organised, it had been once again plagued and ruined by the serious binge drinking.
"Most of these kids were pre-loaded on booze before coming to the event. The 10-15 second check at the gate is not enough any more."
Arrests and problems had started by 3pm, four hours before the start of the Mardi Gras at 7pm, he said.
They were mostly from outside the fenced-off area of the Mardi Gras but in the vicinity, Mr Craig said.
"It's pretty sad that binge drinking has yet again wrecked a well-organised Mountain Mardi Gras in Ohakune."
There were 54 arrests, with 50 of those for breaches of the liquor ban, he said.
But just as worrying were the number of people found drink driving, including 11 driving home after 7am on Sunday. Police say all were well over the limit.
Mr Craig said he was particularly worried at the number of teenagers who had been allowed by their parents to  go to the event, especially young teenaged girls who mostly came "wearing next to nothing".
"Most of them were wearing very skimpy clothes, it was cold and they had been drinking. What were the parents thinking?"
One 16-year-old girl was so drunk she wasn't able to tell officers where she was from. She was incapable of protecting herself should something had gone wrong, he said.
"This is a very dangerous situation for any young girl, but particularly one who has become separated from her friends and safety. When her parents were eventually contacted in the Wellington area they were too far away to be of any assistance and it was left up to police to resolve."
Police teams had been called in from Palmerston North, Wanganui and Taumarunui, with the special traffic control unit from Manawatu.
On Saturday night, the town's one speed camera flashed 152 shots of cars exceeding the 50km/h limit, he said.
A constant source of amazement to police was the number of heavily intoxicated people who made it to the Mardi Gras area, got separated from their friends and were not able to get home.
"Most of them had no idea where the house they had rented was, and they all became the problem of police and St John."
It meant they took resources away from where they were really needed, he said.
He described the St John tent as looking like a war zone casualty station, teeming with drunk and injured people.
"Then there were the hypothermia cases because of girls wearing next to nothing and having a skinful of booze.
"St John dealt with a variety of injuries and alcohol was the main factor in all of them."
The liquor ban was well advertised and signposted.
On the roads leading to Ohakune 22, staff from the traffic alcohol group and highway patrol stopped 6072 vehicles between Thursday  and Sunday.
Twenty-nine drivers were over the limit and will be prosecuted.