Woman attacked with wooden garden stake on St Kilda street

Residents in the beachside Melbourne suburb of St Kilda have watched in horror as a homeless man attacked a couple with a wooden stake this afternoon.

The attacker, who locals say has caused trouble in the area before, set upon a woman and another man who came to her aid on Grey Street at around 2.30pm today.

The woman was able to retreat into a nearby laundromat, and her male companion joined her to arm himself with a chair.

The stake-wielding man fled momentarily but the brawl escalated again when he returned.

Video filmed by onlookers and CCTV from inside the laundromat captured the violence in shocking detail.

Local resident Paul Spurling said a heated altercation quickly escalated into violence.

“He had a weapon in his hand and was obviously wanting to use it, judging on the yelling and screaming that was going on,” Mr Spurling told 9NEWS.

“To hit anyone with a stick - let alone a female - is pretty horrible.”

Staff from the laundromat said the woman appeared to be shaken but otherwise unhurt.

Mr Spurling said residents were fed up with regular episodes of violence in their suburb.

“All these incidents are becoming pretty prevalent in the area,” he said.

“I’d say drugs and alcohol are pretty much to blame.”