Workmates praised for helping woman to escape

The actions of two women may have saved the life of a colleague who was the alleged victim of an attempted abduction in Nelson yesterday.

A 28-year-old orchard worker is due to appear in the Nelson District Court today facing charges of attempted murder, kidnapping, attempted sexual assault and unlawfully taking a vehicle after he allegedly tried to snatch a 19-year-old woman off the street about 5am.

The 19-year-old had been dropped off by a taxi and was walking to her workplace about 200m away when a man allegedly drove alongside her in a stolen 4WD vehicle and tried to pull her inside. Two colleagues of the woman who were nearby came to the woman's aid, and confronted the man, who then drove off. He was not known to the alleged victim.

Detective Senior Sergeant Wayne McCoy said a licence plate number was taken down by the women and a stolen 4WD was later found in Motueka, about 54km away.

As a result of examining the vehicle, police searched a house in Motueka and a man was arrested.

Mr McCoy praised the pair for helping their colleague and for quick thinking in noting the licence plate.