Salon worker's shock at random assault in Lower Hutt mall

The incident happened at Queensgate Shopping Centre on Thursday afternoon. File photo / Mark Mitchell

A woman has been left unable to work at her client-facing job after a random attack at a mall in Lower Hutt yesterday.

The woman was in a beauty salon in Queensgate Shopping Centre where she works when the incident happened, her sister said.

"She told me that she was just sitting on the couch waiting for customers to come out of the beauty salon . . . someone just came from behind and just started punching her," said the sister, who did not want to be named.

The woman's co-workers and members of the public rushed to pull the alleged attacker off her. The alleged offender, a young woman, was detained by security until police arrived.

The woman had no fractures but her face was badly swollen.

"She's not going back to work, not with her face looking the way it is.

"She's traumatised . . . she didn't know what had hit her because it all happened so fast."

The salon closed for the day as the workers were "in shock" from the incident.

The woman had never met her attacker but was told she allegedly had a connection to a relative some time ago.

"My heart goes out to my sister, I wouldn't wish this on anyone, especially in a workplace in public. It's horrible."

Police were called to the mall about 4.20pm on Thursday, a spokeswoman said.

An 18-year-old woman was arrested and charged with assault with intent to injure and is due to appear in Hutt Valley District Court next week.

A Wellington Free Ambulance spokeswoman confirmed they treated one person at the scene for minor injuries.