Pupils erase mud menace

A group of Ngongotaha School pupils have stepped in to clean up a woman's house after it was repeatedly pelted with balls of mud.

The constant ordeal for Ngongotaha woman Patricia Freeman has forced her to quit her Operiana St home.

But before she leaves members of the community are showing her where their sympathies lie, by helping clean up the property and making calls for the offending children to be controlled by their parents.

Ngongotaha School teacher Christine Lim Yock said after reading of Ms Freeman's problems she was so incensed she used the issue as a class project, with some of her year five and six pupils volunteering to help clean up the mud-covered property.

Mrs Lim Yock said she decided to help clean the property after learning about the damage children had caused.

Ms Freeman said it was too late to reconsider staying in the house as she had already organised to move out.

"I still fear that they will come back. It gets to about 2pm and I just want to close everything up and just wait to see if they will come," she said.

"I was thinking of quitting Rotorua altogether, but the kindness of the children who came to clean the place up has put things into proportion.

"These kids were absolutely lovely and I would like to thank all of them.

"I have also received about 20 letters from children at Ngongotaha School saying such sweet, sweet things like 'We are sorry to hear you had your house splattered', or 'We are sorry for the behaviour of those bad children'."

Meanwhile, a Ngongotaha mother is calling on parents to take control of their foul-mouthed children.

Suzanne Cole said the language used by the youngsters was upsetting.

"As a local and as a parent I'm appalled. There are so many kids down there and no adult supervision. Parents need to be called to task over it."

- NZPA