LISTEN TO LEVIN MAYOR MICHAEL FEYEN TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOVE

Members of a group of British tourists under fire for their unruly behaviour in Auckland and Hamilton appear to have split up, with some spending time in Levin.

While some family members remain in Hamilton today, one carload of the group spent last night at a Levin motel.

The owner of a Levin motel, who asked not to be named, confirmed his overnight guests were at least part of the group. The confirmed sighting has prompted the mayor of Levin to issue a warning to residents and businesses.

The Levin motelier said members of the group had arrived on Wednesday night - and true to form tried three times to talk him down in price.

They checked in for five people, but he believed more may have stayed.

"They just kept getting out of the car," he said.

However, he said they had behaved themselves and been "pretty quiet".

Three of the group were seen loading up a slightly rough looking Honda Odyssey this morning. The rooms didn't appear to be damaged or trashed when they left.

The motel owner thought they were probably trying to keep a low profile.

"I didn't see any nastiness but, if you do, you have to meet it with kindness," he said.

Levin Mayor Michael Feyen earlier urged businesses and residents to keep an eye out for the unruly travellers, and to call the police if there were any problems.

"I just say to people of Levin to keep a wary eye, to look after our own place and make sure they don't shoplift in our shops or chuck their rubbish everywhere around."

Feyen said there was positive side to the group being in Levin.

"I'm glad that we know they're here in Levin, so a better eye can be kept on them," Feyen said.

He told Andrew Dickens that while he thinks it is a media beat up, he does think tourists who come to New Zealand should behave.

Feyen says that the attention on these tourists could be beneficial to the country by highlighting the issues around rubbish. 

"Many more people do it apart from these guys, but they're getting all the media attention, so I think it might highlight a few things that we need to change in this country." 

He says that their behaviour is not that different to a lot of tourists and locals.

"In this case, we could send them home. If people come here and don't respect our laws, shove them on a plane and get rid of them. They are not worth the hassle. Their tourism dollar is not worth that." 

The travellers have moved on from Levin now, heading south to Tawa. 

It has since emerged the group arrived in New Zealand on December 29. There have been several accounts of members refusing to pay for food or services, hectoring hospitality staff and claiming their food had been contaminated by ants or hair.

On Wednesday, a 26-year-old female member of the group pleaded guilty in the Hamilton District Court to stealing energy drinks, a rope and sunglasses from an Auckland service station on two separate occasions.

The court heard Tina Maria Cash stole a can of Red Bull from a Caltex service station at Albany on December 31.

At the same time another woman she was with hid a bottle of Primo milk under her dressing gown while paying for a packet of cigarettes.

Cash allegedly waited at the door until the service station assistant was distracted serving the other woman and left with the can of Red Bull.

The other woman allegedly did not pay for the Primo.

On January 3, Cash allegedly returned to the Caltex with her children and stole more Red Bull, rope and sunglasses valued at $50.

Her lawyer told the court she does not remember the incident, but accepts the theft was caught on CCTV video.

She has been convicted and ordered to pay $55 in reparation.

Outside the court, members of the group shouted at media and the public, some of whom also shouted at the tourists.

As the group walked away, a young boy raised his middle finger at the onlookers.