Police in Hastings say the community should not over-react to a fight between students from two secondary schools.
On Tuesday afternoon a small number of students from Hastings Boys High and Flaxmere College, watched by about 200 others, clashed in a park near the college.
Two officers were injured when they went to break up the fight, and seven students aged between 13 and 15 were arrested.
Inspector Kevin Kalff says he is confident police in Flaxmere will do all they can to ensure that there is no more fighting.
On Wednesday, about 20 police in patrol cars and on foot kept a close eye on the area near Flaxmere College as students left the school grounds.
The Hastings Boys High bus is now taking a different route and dropping students off well away from Flaxmere College.
Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule says the fight between students has been blown out of all proportion. He says the most serious aspect from his point of view was a student punching a police officer after the fight was over.
Student charged with assault
A 14-year-old student appeared in Hastings Youth Court on Wednesday, charged with assaulting a police officer and preventing the officer from doing his duty.
He will next appear in court in October.
Six students have been charged with disorderly behaviour and have been referred to Youth Aid.
