A youth was hurt when he was attacked by a machete-wielding gang outside Berkeley Institute yesterday.

But students avoided being drawn into the melee after the school's security team moved swiftly to close the school gates.

An eye witness said a group of about five to ten men were "pummelling" one man with crash helmets and at one point hit him in the back with a crutch.

Police arrived at the scene at about 3.30 p.m. to find the group of men fleeing on cycles.

The injured man declined medical help and refused to press charges. But Police said another man was arrested at the scene after being searched under the misuse of drugs act.

Yesterday, the school's deputy principal Carlos Symonds said: "I want to assure the public that no Berkeley students were involved in the altercation."