A woman managed to escape a mugger who assaulted her in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Police, hunting the man, said the woman - in her 20s - had suffered a traumatic experience.
She was biking home from the BP petrol station in Taihape at 5.30am when the man tried to rob her.
He walked up to her as she was stopped in Hautapu St, near the intersection with Huia St, and demanded cigarettes in an abusive manner.
She cycled off but he chased her up to Mataroa Rd and grabbed her by the arm. She managed to break free, pedal home and call the police.