Four people drove to a Collins St house, got out of their vehicles, pulled out a chilly bin, and started throwing eels on the lawn, police said.

Police are investigating after eels were used in a bizarre attack on a Timaru property.

Sergeant Greg Sutherland, of Timaru, said police were called to a Collins St house about 11.20pm on Sunday and found several of the slimy creatures lying on the lawn.

Officers reviewed footage of the incident, which was caught on closed-circuit television, and spotted two vehicles pulling up outside the house – a red Holden Commodore with a grey bumper and a light-coloured ute.

Four people had got out of the two vehicles, pulled out a chilly bin, and started throwing the eels, Sutherland said.

It was unclear if the eels were alive or dead at the time of the incident or what the motive for their use was, he said.

Anyone who had information about the incident was advised to contact Timaru police on 03 687 9808.

A man at the Collins St house declined to comment on Monday morning.