Undie 500 undeterred by lack of welcome

Undie 500 participants are undeterred by Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin saying they are not welcome.

The event is scheduled for September 11, with Canterbury University students driving vehicles worth less than $500 from Christchurch to Dunedin for a weekend of partying.

Last year's official event was cancelled after the 2006 and 2007 Undie 500s resulted in arrests and fires.

An unofficial version was held, the aftermath of which was credited with 30 arrests and one fire.

The University of Canterbury Engineering Society (Ensoc), which organises the event, said it was planning to crack down on people who broke Dunedin's temporary liquor bans, the Otago Daily Times reported.

Those found breaching the bans or misbehaving in any way would be banned from bars when they returned to Christchurch,

Ensoc had also scheduled the event later to avoid the university's mid-semester break which generally encouraged drunken behaviour.

- NZPA