Search for group brawl participants

POLICE are searching for several people involved in a central city brawl which culminated in a man being knocked unconscious and taken to hospital.

The fight, which involved up to 14 people, broke out in High St, near the intersection with Princes St, about 3.25am on Sunday.

Two groups of people, aged from their late teens to mid20s, traded verbal barbs before slinging punches at each other outside the Dunedin Casino.

‘‘It looks like there’s been a scuffle between some people who have been at the taxi rank on Princes St and people outside the hotel,’’ Detective Sergeant Stan Leishman, of Dunedin, said.

‘‘The scuffle has evolved into a fight and one 25yearold male has been assaulted and what we believe to be knocked out,’’ he said.

The man was taken to Dunedin Hospital with moderate injuries, a St John spokesman said.

He had been discharged, Det Sgt Leishman said.

The fracas broke out after the two groups of about seven people, including men and women, traded words.

‘‘It appears that the two different parties were abusing each other,’’ Det Sgt Leishman said.

‘‘We are still trying to view CCTV, which will give us the most accurate account of what’s happened.’’

The two parties were not believed to be known to each other and alcohol was a factor in the incident.

People should not be concerned about their safety in the central city as it was believed to be an isolated drunken incident, Det Sgt Leishman said.

A Dunedin police (03) 4714800, Crimestoppers 0800 555111.