Man arrested after taxi driver assault

A 20-year-old man has been arrested over the serious assault of a taxi driver in Tauranga overnight.

Detective Brian Dudley said the driver had picked up a fare in the CBD about 3am, who asked to be taken to Darraghs Road in Brookfield.

It was there that the driver was attacked. The assailant grabbed cash and personal belongings before fleeing.

The driver suffered face and head injuries and was taken to Tauranga Hospital where he remains in a stable but serious condition.

The youth was arrested and will appear in Tauranga District Court tomorrow charged with robbery.

- NZPA