Teen attacked on way home from work

Wellington police are hunting two men who attacked a teenager on his way home from work early today and forced him to withdraw money from a cash machine.

The robbers also stole the 19-year-old victim's iPod and cellphone in what police described as a "cowardly" attack.

The young man was walking home along Webb Street about 5am when a Maori man punched him from behind, without warning.

He tried to run away, but his assailant chased and punched him again.

A second Maori man joined the first, and the two men took the teenager's iPod and wallet.

They then forced him to walk between them from Webb Street, up Hopper Street then through the Arlington Apartment complex to the bank cash machine at the Massey University building in Wallace Street.

Detective Sergeant Damian Murphy said the victim was made to enter his PIN into the ATM.

The attackers then fled.

Mr Murphy described the first man as a skinny Maori, 19 to 20 years old, between 1.88m and 1.95m tall, with a ponytail, black goatee beard and wispy moustache.

He wore a black cap with a pattern on the front of it, baggy black pants and a dark hooded top.

The second attacker was about 16 years old, of 1.73m to 1.79m tall. He was average build, with a round face and wore a dark baseball cap, an old, baggy, dark sweatshirt and dark track pants.

Mr Murphy appealed to anyone who saw the attackers and their victim to come forward.

- NZPA