Motorists and residents in Belmore Road, Lorn, were stunned as they witnessed a spectacle of fists and flailing arms on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Several road workers were brawling with what appeared to be a couple of passersby.
Loud shouts of abuse were hurled between the two parties as the struggle threatened to spill across Belmore Road and become a major traffic jam.
One resident said she was standing outside her property about 3pm when she heard a loud yell.
“In a few seconds there was shouting all over the place and people seemed to be everywhere,” she said.
“I saw one road worker tackle a man whom I was later told had been very drunk.
“The road worker had a man firmly pinned to the ground.
“I didn’t know what was going on, but it was enough for me and I called the police, who were here pretty quickly.
“I was also told it all began when two drunk men walked past the road workers earlier in the day and had been pretty abusive to them.”
A motorist told of seeing lots of gesticulating people in high emotion.
“I was in traffic when suddenly people seemed to be fighting all over the place,” the driver said.
“Everyone was yelling loudly and a lot of people were involved.
“The road workers were all in high-visibility shirts, but I could see several [men] who were not wearing that gear.
“I was in a queue of what seemed like 20 cars or more.
“The crowd kept spilling out with people pushing and shoving.
“Then it seemed to become an all-in brawl and everyone was very animated.”
The road workers in Belmore Road would not comment officially yesterday but several said workers had been abused by two drunken men earlier in the day. They later returned.
“We cop abuse from people all the time,” one worker said. “I have been doing this job for 27 years and abuse from the public doesn’t worry me at all now. We are council workers and we accept it .”
Maitland City Council spokesperson said the incident in Belmore Road yesterday had been reported to police who were investigating an assault of two council workers.