Windscreen washer attacks woman

Bystanders watched on as a woman was hit and thrown to the ground by a squeegee bandit in central Wellington.

The incident, on the busy intersection of Willis St and Karo Drive on Thursday afternoon, comes after Wellington City Council in April started looking at a crackdown of intersection car windscreen washers.

Wellington model Juniper Moon was on a bus going down Willis St when she saw, and photographed, the attack at the intersection.

While she arrived after the altercation began, she said she saw the man ‘‘shove her, hit her, throw her to the ground’’. When the woman - in her 30s or 40s - was on the ground, the windscreen washer yelled at her then ‘‘bailed’’, Moon said.

Bystanders went to help but had stood back and watched while the woman had been attacked, she said.

Moon continued on the bus to the police station and was told other complaints had been made about the attack.

Police confirmed they received reports of a man pushing a woman at the intersection about 2pm on Thursday but when they got there neither the woman nor her attacker was there. Wellington area prevention manager Inspector Clint Walker said he was aware window washers ‘‘can be seen to be intimidating to motorists’’ and police discouraged drivers from using their services.

‘‘Police can understand why many members of the public may feel threatened. However, window washing itself is not an offence.’’

But if they did break the law - such as with intimidation or damaging cars people should report it to police, he said.

Wellington City Council in April said it was considering stricter controls over roadside window-washers as part of a review of its public places bylaw, after receiving 34 complaints over the past 15 months.