Thugs stopped mother and baby leaving camp ground

Drunken thugs prevented a young mother and her baby leaving a Wanaka camping ground during a New Year's Eve riot, according to a witness.

Jordan Wyatt, of Invercargill, said the woman was trying to drive away in her car but a group of young men with shaved heads would not let her go.

About five of them grabbed the bumper of her car and lifted the rear wheels off the ground so it could not move.

"She had a young baby in the back ... but they kept rocking the car," Mr Wyatt told The Southland Times. "It was shocking. Quite scary."

Eventually another woman stood up to the men and told them to leave the mother and baby alone.

"A group of people managed to get the woman out but they were sort of going for anyone by that stage."

The riot had started at the Albert Town camping site after the men had rolled over a car they had painted with obscene words and set it alight.

Mr Wyatt said that while teenagers were arrested, most of the unruly crowd appeared to be aged in their mid to late 20s.

It was his first time at the Department of Conservation-run camping ground and he would not be going back.

Police and firefighters who attended the riot were pelted with bottles. Seven people were arrested.

- NZPA