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Police are calling in extra officers from Canterbury, Invercargill and rural parts of Otago this weekend in anticipation of a rogue Undie 500 event.
The annual Undie 500, in which students drive from Christchurch to Dunedin in vehicles costing less than $500, would have marked its 20th anniversary this year.
The event was marred by disorder in 2006 and again last year.
Attempts to negotiate a revamped Undie 500 with authorities failed and organiser Ensoc (University of Canterbury's engineering society) cancelled the Undie 500 this year.
However, a rogue event has been talked about on social networking websites Facebook and Bebo and an email was circulated among Canterbury University students this week saying an Undie 500-style rally was planned for this weekend.
Clutha area police commander Inspector Dave Campbell said it would not be a good weekend for anyone to break the law, the Otago Daily Times reported.
Mr Campbell said police would patrol highways from Christchurch to Dunedin. Other measures would include checkpoints, hotel visits, policing liquor bans and having multiple officers on foot and in patrol cars in the North Dunedin area from 6pm Friday.
Police staff for "Operation Undie 500" would include highway patrol, traffic, tactical team and uniformed police staff who would be prepared for any eventuality, Mr Campbell said.
- NZPA
