Students torch couches again

Canterbury University students are up to their old tricks - lighting rubbish on fire in shopping trolleys, setting fire to couches on the street and throwing lit rubbish into gutters, angering local residents.

Riccarton students' behaviour has been compared to similar antics shown by those in Dunedin by a Fire Service spokeswoman.

"Setting fire to couches and other furniture, lighting rubbish and putting it in a shopping trolley, throwing lit rubbish into people's house gutters is un-necessary. It is a waste of Fire Service resources," she said.

On Tuesday evening, Sockburn Fire Service responded to five small, deliberately lit couch, shopping trolley and rubbish fires.

Several Christchurch police reinforcements assisted Dunedin squads earlier this year, after students went on a riot rampage - parties got out of control, alcohol bottles were thrown at fire trucks, parking meters damaged and couches were set on fire in the streets.

Streets were described as a sea of glass and burnt furniture.

While Riccarton is not experiencing the same problems as Dunedin, Sockburn Fire Service have been inundated with calls over the last two weeks to extinguish "idiotic" fires caused by students.

Riccarton West Neighbourhood Policing Team Sergeant Steve Jones said at this time of year these antics can cause real issues for the Fire Service, Police and residents.

"A lot of people are moving out of houses. Instead of disposing of their rubbish appropriately they tend to leave couches and other furniture out on the street. We spend a lot of time ringing the council to come and pick these items up.

"A few months ago half the amount of furniture fires decreased but they are slowly beginning to increase," he said.

Canterbury University community relations manager John MacDonald said while it is impossible at times to identify certain people, anti-social behaviour is not something the university condones.

"If students are identified then a letter from the Vice Chancellor (Rod Carr) is written advising them the university is aware of what they have been doing. If behaviour continues then disciplinary action is taken," he said.

Mr MacDonald said students being kicked out of university is the "ultimate" and an incident would have to be "pretty serious" for that to happen.

"No-one has been kicked out of university in the past for this sort of behaviour."