Community leaders in the small Northland town of Moerewa are appalled by the actions of young people who stopped an ambulance at the weekend and threw rocks at it.
Police are investigating after the group blocked State Highway 1 early on Sunday with rocks and debris.
When a St John ambulance heading for its base in Kerikeri was forced to stop, the group began heaving stones at it.
Ambulance officers turned on the lights and sirens and when police arrived 10 minutes later, the group had gone.
Moerewa Community Trust chairperson Ngahau Davis says local people are horrified at what happened and the stupidity of those responsible.
Mr Davis says youth workers are confident they can find out who was involved and hold them accountable.
St John ambulance has said if such episodes were to continue it would have to ask for a police escort before entering Moerewa.
But Mr Davis believes it would be unfair to say Moerewa is not safe because of one incident.
