Knife pulled in feud at Hamilton school

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A senior student took his shirt off and chased a pair of brothers who came into his Hamilton school armed with a knife.

Police are commending the "quick-minded" actions of staff at Fairfield College who recorded the details of their fleeing vehicle.

The drama unfolded during a morning break when a Year 9 student became involved in an altercation with another student as part of a row the pair had been carrying on for about a week and a half.

A student said: "He's always getting into trouble. He thinks he's quite tough but he started pushing this other boy but he stood up for himself and started pushing back."

The boy ran home to the nearby suburb of Enderley to get his 26-year-old brother. The pair came back in a white Ford with a woman and walked on to the school grounds about 11am.

City tactical co-ordinator Senior Sergeant Greg Dunn said: "The boy's older brother got out of the car to confront students about his brother's plight."

The man told police a larger group converged on the pair and, feeling threatened, he produced a knife to get them to back off.

"At this stage school staff became aware of what was going on and came out to calm things down," Mr Dunn said.

The man got back into the car and it was driven away, but staff were able to record its registration number.

Police went to the brothers' house where the two "gave themselves up".

Police expected to charge the older brother, Mr Dunn said.

A student said a senior student saw the knife, took off his shirt and ran after the brothers and yelled: "Why do you come to our school and try to pick on a kid with a knife? You think you're tough." As the car was driven away, a student threw a rock.

School commissioner Dennis Finn, who was sent to the school by the Ministry of Education in February after the board of trustees resigned, last night praised staff saying they were "extremely efficient" in the way they handled the situation.

While the knife had been visible Mr Finn believed the student had not been threatened with it on the school grounds.

Class warfare

* The incident follows the arrest of two sisters who allegedly attacked a Year 13 girl at the school last year. Other students chased the 17-year-old girl's boyfriend with sticks as he came to her aid.

* Last month, a 15-year-old girl allegedly pulled a knife on students at Hamilton Girls' High School. She has since appeared in Hamilton Youth Court charged with assault and threatening to kill.

* Four days earlier, Te Puke High School teacher Steve Hose was stabbed in the neck and back by a 13-year-old student.