WELLINGTON - Car drivers armed with a playlist of Celine Dion songs have been plaguing residents of a small New Zealand city for months on end with loud, late-night "siren battles".
The beloved Canadian singer's melodies lose their charm when blared at high volume as late as 2 am, say the sleepless residents of Porirua, north of Wellington and home to 60,000 people.
"It's a headache," Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said.
Siren battles have erupted in parts of New Zealand for at least seven years.
Local media have reported on contestants -- often people with family links to Pacific Island nations -- using large siren-type speakers on cars and even bicycles to drown each other out with their powerful systems.
They "love Celine Dion", the mayor said.
"They like anyone with a high pitch and great tone in their voice," she said.
In Porirua, people have had enough of hearing the power ballads, including "My Heart Will Go On" and "It's All Coming Back To Me Now".
The contests start as early as 7 pm and can go on until as late as 2 am, the mayor said.
"It's really loud music. They only play a quarter of the song, so it's like having a turntable and it comes screeching out."
Competing cars park with their engines running, blasting out music before moving to avoid police, Baker said.