An operation in which undercover police officers drank in Dunedin bars has been slammed as 'creepy' by the Hospitality Association.

Dunedin's mayor has admitted his council missed a chance to detect an alleged $1.5m fraud in its car fleet, after overlooking Audit NZ advice.

A 31-year-old woman who used a child’s scooter as a get-away vehicle has been arrested in connection with two robberies in Dunedin overnight, police say.

Police have been called in and the Serious Fraud Office notified, after the Dunedin City Council this afternoon revealed the full size of an alleged $1.5 million fraud within its Citifleet department.

Three people have been hospitalised after two Dunedin houses caught fire overnight, the fire service says.

A 21-year-old student will appear in court today after a 'commercial enterprise' of party drugs sourced over the internet was seized in Dunedin.

Snow has fallen to low levels in the South overnight, forcing the closure of many schools and prompting calls for care by motorists.

A 67-year August temperature record for Dunedin melted yesterday as strong northwesterly winds buffeted the region.

Former John McGlashan College pupil Jonny Dyas is settling back into Dunedin life after mixing with some of the biggest names in the music business.

The discovery "of what appears to be explosives'' has caused the closure of a popular Dunedin scenic drive.

Music magazine NME has published a four-page spread on the influential Dunedin Sound.

Two seats were left empty as Newcastle played Sydney FC in Dunedin. They were for two men who died on board flight MH17.

Four people were trapped when a bus rolled near Clarks Junction, inland from Outram near Dunedin, this morning.

Lives were put at risk from couch fires lit too close to houses in Dunedin's student quarter, Dunedin police and the Fire Service have warned.

Peter Feeney finds Dunedin is a supercity minus the sleaze.

A young mother helped stop her former partner - 'psychotic' on synthetic cannabis - from driving her and her child into Otago Harbour.

A police officer was punched in the head by a motorcyclist after a high-speed chase through Dunedin last night.

A victim of a brutal assault says her friends are being cyber-bullied by those linked to the teenage perpetrators.

Two Dunedin people fear the road is becoming a dangerous place for cyclists following a road-rage incident in the city.

A parent of one of the teenage girls at the centre of serious assault allegations has expressed her disappointment over her daughter's actions.

A 14-second clip of three young women being kicked and punched by a group of drunk teens has appalled the victims, who ask who posted the video - but didn't help them.

A classic car connected to convicted fraudster Michael Swann has been found abandoned in a Christchurch street.

A Dunedin driver who crashed into a cow woke up in a smoke-filled car with an 18-wheeler truck bearing down on her.

Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull has ''no regrets'' about stepping in to buy a set of leg irons, despite evidence they were used to hold camels, not Maori prisoners as had been believed.

An investigation has been launched into the disappearance of dozens of the Dunedin City Council's vehicles, with proceeds unaccounted for, the ODT understands.

Robbie Fruean's return is at the perfect time, not only for the Chiefs but for his long-term viability as a player.

A Dunedin student received a "spooky'' surprise when he took a closer look at a pair of photos he took of the Otago Harbour.

A security guard who "smashed" a streaker at last night's All Black's game has been criticised by some viewers for the bruising tackle.