Christchurch police are investigating the assault of an Emergency Department nurse who was attacked while walking to work.

Senior Sergeant Paul Robertson told chrislynchmedia.com police are “investigating a report of a woman being assaulted on Hagley Avenue last night.

“At around 8:20pm, the woman was walking to work and was hit in the back by two people on an electric scooter.

“Police are making inquiries,” Senior Sergeant Robertson said.

A hospital worker told chrislynchmedia.com that staff had been warned about the incident and were informed the offender tried to steal the nurse’s backpack.

She was treated in the Emergency Department for shoulder injuries, the hospital worker said.

This follows a separate incident two weeks ago, when another hospital staff member was assaulted after finishing a shift at Christchurch Hospital’s birthing unit.

The woman had just finished work at the Antigua Street facility and was walking to her vehicle when she was attacked.

The incident occurred off hospital property.

A Health NZ spokeswoman said they couldn’t comment on last night’s incident, as it had been referred to police.