AN 'Irish' family are set to be deported from New Zealand after allegedly littering a beach, threatening locals and stealing from restaurants.
The 12-strong group of tourists were caught on camera verbally abusing people who asked them to clean up rubbish they left on Takapuna Beach, Auckland on Sunday.
They have also faced accusations of causing chaos on their flight to the country on Friday January 11, as well as putting ants and hair in their food to avoid paying for meals at a series of restaurants and cafes.
Mounting complaints about the family culminated in immigration officers tracking them down to a local Burger King on Tuesday.
Six police officers and two immigration officials served the group with deportation papers at the restaurant in Hamilton at about 3pm, local media reported.
Staff at the fast-food said they were causing a nuisance and complaining by asking for free food, while the children were banging coins on machines.
The police response followed a litany of allegations made against the family on social media, which began aboard their Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Auckland last week.
Passengers accused the group of continually demanding larger seats because some were overweight, demanding extra alcohol, leaving soiled nappies around the cabin, jostling other passengers and not being seated as the aircraft landed.
One fellow flier told the New Zealand Herald that the journey was the "worst flight" of his life.
"One of the daughters held the whole plane back from sitting by standing in the aisle," he said.
"She started shouting at her mum because she didn’t know where she was seated. She then asked for food maybe ten times before we even took off, followed by the parents bugging the attendants for food and beer."
'Irish travellers'
According to a tweet by Auckland resident Krista Curnow, the group claimed to be Irish and threatened locals during the beach incident at the weekend.
She said the family had been "drinking Coronas and Bundaberg" and left empty boxes of beer, baby wipes and other litter on the sand.
Ms Curnow, 28, also alleged that she was threatened by an elderly lady and a young boy, while other family members threatened to "knock the brains out" of beachgoers who challenged their behaviour.
Speaking on Tuesday, the Mayor of Auckland Phil Goff labelled the troublemakers "a bunch of a-holes".
The family – understood to be members of the Traveller community – include brothers John and David Johnson, their partners and children, and their mother Eileen Doran of Liverpool, according to local reports.
They were due to stay in New Zealand for two weeks but will now be forced out of the country prematurely.
