Woman held down in frightening attack

A woman was held down and sexually assaulted by a group of men in an "extremely frightening" attack in Tokoroa early on Sunday, police say.

The 23-year-old victim was walking alone on Kelso Street about 3am when a passing ute with four men inside stopped next to her.

Two men jumped from the back of the ute and chased and tackled the victim, and the other two men helped hold her down while she was sexually assaulted.

They were scared off by a combination of the woman's screams, an elderly man walking down the road and a nearby property light being turned on, police said.

They fled in the matt black ute, which had chrome mag wheels and a loud exhaust.

There was a small couch on the tray of the ute at the time of the attack.

The men were described as fair-skinned Maori or Polynesians aged between 20 and 24.

One man may have received an eye injury during the attack.

Detective Senior Sergeant Todd Pearce of Taupo police said the attack was "extremely frightening" for the victim. Police were hopeful they would find the offenders.

They asked witnesses, along with the man walking down the road and the resident who turned on the light during the attack, to come forward.

- NZPA