Raw footage has emerged of boy racers doing burn outs during a funeral procession outside of a cemetery in Wellington.

The video posted on Facebook shows multiple cars with their wheels spinning so hot the road outside Akatarawa cemetery in Upper Hutt was shrouded in thick smoke.

The incident happened as mourners were making their way to the cemetery to bury Troy Kahui on March 12.

His mother Karen Kahui last week said the burnouts were a respectful, and safe sendoff for her 22-year-old son, who died from a heart condition.

''It was an appropriate sendoff for a person who was absolutely passionate about drift cars.''

However, police said the incident was the worst involving boy racers in the area in the past five years.

Hutt Valley area commander Inspector Mike Hill said the boy racers also performed burnouts about 100 metres from Birchville Primary School, caused disruptions to traffic in the city, and put the public in danger.

Their actions last month were disrespectful to people buried at the cemetery and intimidated families coming to visit their loved ones, Hill said.

''I'm not aware of anywhere in New Zealand culture where it's acceptable [to do burnouts] at a funeral or after a funeral or in and around a cemetery.

''It's a sacred place.''

Kahui today disagreed.

''It's not disrespectful.

''[At a funeral] you're supposed to be celebrating somone's life.

''That was his life.''

On Friday police arrested four men aged 18 to 27 in connection with the incident.

Three of the boy racer's cars were seized along with cannabis, ammunition, a stolen car and car parts found during the raids.

The men would face charges of dangerous driving and sustained loss of traction when they appeared in the Upper Hutt District Court in the next fortnight.

*Comments are now closed on this article.