Tweed City: Horror as man is attacked with an axe outside shopping centre

A man has sustained facial injuries after being reportedly attacked with a metal object outside a regional shopping centre. 

The incident happened at around 3.30pm on Thursday at the Tweed City centre on Minjungbal Drive in northern NSW. 

A NSW Ambulance spokesperson told the Gold Coast Bulletin the man, aged 25, had been rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition with what one source called a 'superficial injury' after being struck by the metal object.

Multiple ambulance and police crews attended the scene. 

Tweed Byron Police District Chief Inspector Matt Kehoe said there was no threat to the public.

"It wasn't a significant incident, albeit a weapon was produced and a person has received some injuries," he said.

"It is always concerning when there is a weapon in a public place but the public can be assured police were there immediately after it was reported and quickly contained the scene."

Police are looking for the attacker.

"The other male involved has run from the scene and the investigation is still ongoing," Inspector Kehoe said.

"We are asking anyone with phone footage or dashcam footage to contact tweed Police or Crimestoppers.

"We believe we know who that person is, we ask him to present himself to Tweed Heads Police Station, but we are out there at the moment continuing our inquiries to locate him."

The alleged weapon has been seized by police for forensic testing. 

Witnesses told Channel Nine the attacker entered a business in the centre yelling at the man about cigarettes before launching into the attack and fleeing the scene.

Shoppers who witnessed the incident expressed their shock and horror on social media, with one writing 'there was blood everywhere'.

'Wow just saw the guy ... blood everywhere. Was wondering what had happened. Pretty scary stuff,' Jacqueline Garbett wrote.

Allison Sultana said her son's mate tried to give first aid to the hurt man, saying the attack occurred outside the Woolworths store.

Shoppers began 'piling out of the centre' as news of the attack spread, wrote Sara Georgi who also stated police arrived 'quickly' to the scene.