Teen girls arrested for savage assault

Police have arrested three girls who badly beat up a young girl on a busy road in Hamilton yesterday.

Hamilton Police also applauded the action of members of the public who intervened to save the girl being brutally beaten by the trio while walking along a busy city road yesterday afternoon, Detective Sergeant Neville Ross of the Hamilton CIB said today.

The young girl suffered a broken tooth and a large cut to her face in the attack which took place on a footpath on the Boundary Rd Bridge about 4pm.

"She was attacked by three girls aged 16, 15 and 15 years and was quite badly beaten," Mr Ross said.

"Fortunately, even more serious injuries were avoided thanks to the timely intervention of passing motorists who stopped and came to the girl's rescue, seeing off her attackers."

Mr Ross said the offenders were arrested a short distance away on River Rd.

One of the offenders had been taken into secure custody by Child Youth and Family while the remaining two girls have been remanded in custody to appear in the Hamilton Youth Court on Monday.

- NZPA