Tourists attacked while camping

Two French tourists camping on the side of a rural Waikato road were violently attacked after they were accused of not paying "rent" to their attackers.

The couple - who had parked their camper van on a road near Raglan - were woken early this morning by a man doing a haka.

Five drunk men then accused the French couple of staying on private land and demanded payment.

Detective Sergeant Mata John of Ngaruawahia police said the situation then escalated.

"The French male has then been punched and an attempt was made to drag him out of the vehicle before the couple had a variety of items taken from them and their attackers drove off.

"Though not resulting in serious injury, this is type of attack is concerning given the time it happened and the sense of isolation the victims would have felt."

Ms John urged members of the public to come forward with information on the five men believed to be involved.

"The Waikato and in fact the rest of the country prides itself in being a safe, family friendly place to visit and the police want to ensure we do our part to maintain that hard earned reputation."

- Herald Online

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