Student arrested after Victoria University rampage

The eight floor of Victoria University's Katharine Jermyn Hall was trashed on Saturday night. Photo of Victoria University. Photo / Mark Mitchell

An 18-year-old man has been arrested after a small group of Victoria University hall residents went on a rampage - smashing up an entire floor which was now uninhabitable.

The eight floor of Victoria University's Katharine Jermyn Hall was trashed so badly on Saturday night, the floor was now locked, Radio New Zealand reported.

Last weekend was the final week of classes before exams began.

One man who spoke to Radio New Zealand said someone was "walking around with a golf club, smashing s*** up and all that".

Another student told Radio NZ it was "like a warzone".

"The whole eighth floor, a lot of ceiling tiles had been smashed, I think by peoples' heads. There were all sorts of drinking games going on, there was plaster everywhere on the floor," he said.

Victoria University acting chief operating officer Jenny Bentley said the majority of students at Victoria behaved responsibly but it were disappointed at the behaviour of a few.

"We are extremely disappointed at the behaviour of the few students who caused this damage and disrupted other residents, many of whom are studying for exams," she said.

The university was still assessing the cost of the damage to the Hall, she said.

"There was a small amount of damage on Level 3, but the majority of the damage was on Level 8 of the Hall," she said.

The 26 students on the floor have been moved to other parts of the building.

An 18-year-old man was arrested and charged with wilful damage in relation to the incident, police said. He was due to appear in Wellington District Court later this month.

Ms Bentley said the university would also address the misconduct of anyone involved in the incident.

"Victoria University has robust processes in place to address student misconduct, including when it occurs in a hall of residence."