Locals upset by early morning chainsaw

A friend of the car's owner works to free the vehicle from the remainder of the tree it crashed into on a Greenmeadows, Napier, reserve yesterday.

Angry neighbours are fed up with noisy antics after a tree on a Greenmeadows reserve was cut down at 4am yesterday to free a car that had crashed into it.

A witness said she was woken by shouting at 1am and saw a car on two wheels doing "wheelies" in reverse on a nearby reserve.

"They went round and round on the green and then they did a great big one - I thought they were going to roll the car but they slammed into the tree instead," she said.

Occupants of the car "scattered" when police arrived 15 minutes later.

Another neighbour of the property owned by Hawke's Bay Magpie Trent Boswell-Wakefield was woken by the crash's noise.

"It was quite humorous, because the lady who owns the car was trying to explain to the police that they had parked the car there earlier in the day and they were just trying to move it - somehow it got caught up.

"The police left and they carried on partying, but the worst thing was around four in the morning they came out with a chainsaw.

"I was surprised to not find big pools of blood out there this morning - it was just stupid handling a chainsaw when you've been drinking."

The crash witness said they could not get the chainsaw started at first and took it inside their house.

"I could hear it revving up and they ran out with it and they cut the tree."

Another neighbour said it was wanton vandalism.

"All it needed was a tow truck to pull it sideways."

A couple, who declined to give their names, later attempted to free the car by jacking it up because they could not afford a tow truck.

They would not name the driver.

"We told the driver to take off and this is what is here in the morning," he said.

Police arrived again and unsuccessfully searched for the chainsaw at the house where the couple were staying. They were visiting flatmates of Mr Boswell-Wakefield.

"Trent is a reasonable guy, but he tends to go to sleep and everyone carries on partying," a neighbour said.

Another said she had rung noise control "at least" 20 times and Mr Boswell-Wakefield told her to simply ask for quiet if she was being disturbed, but she said she was reluctant because she found "drunk people intimidating at 2am".

Mr Boswell-Wakefield said some neighbours were "very sensitive" and the Napier City Council had rescinded an abatement notice on his property.

"We have an ongoing debate with them and the council. The council is sort of coming round to seeing things from our side - seeing how sensitive they are."

He said while people at his house were sometimes loud "we definitely aren't loud all the time" and it was difficult to control who his flatmates brought home.

"They are not my children."

There are six people living at the four-bedroom house.