Reminder site off limits

Wanaka police have reminded people to not loiter on the grounds of the former Wanaka Primary School, after some recent incidents of unauthorised entry and wilful damage.The Tenby St site has been vacant since pupils relocated to a new facility at Scurr Heights last month and is now under the authority of the Ministry of Education.

Constable Bruce McLean said people needed to realise the school was "effectively a closed yard" and, as such, anyone found to be in the grounds or buildings without authorisation was liable for prosecution.

"It may seem relatively innocuous, but it is not a public space," he said.

Recently, police had dealt with people being at the former school without any authorisation and using the grounds for their own purposes.

A "reasonable amount of construction" had been carried out by some skateboarders, who had built a 2m-3m high concrete ramp on the school grounds, he said.

"It's a good time to remind people you can't go there; you can't hang out there, even though it is not being used," Const McLean said.