By TAN SIN CHOW

GEORGE TOWN: The usually rowdy Christmas eve celebration in Penang turned uglier than ever this year with two Rela members being punched, kicked and attacked with helmets by revellers.

A Bernama TV cameraman was also punched on the lips and pressmen were shoved by unruly revellers who sprayed aerosol foam on motorists and banged passing vehicles at Gurney Drive.

Light Strike Force members then had to intervene in one of the ugliest "celebrations" in the state in recent years.

A group of about 10 men bashed up the Rela members who had earlier hauled up one of their friends for giving passing vehicles a good shake.

They threw punches and kicked the Rela members in their apparent bid to free their friend, in his 20s, from being detained in the 12.30am incident on Friday.

The attacks took place while the Rela members and a plainclothes policeman were on their way to hand over the suspect to a nearby police base.

The attack which lasted several minutes only ended when the Light Strike Force unit, policemen and other Rela members moved in.

George Town acting OCPD Supt Gan Kong Meng said a 17-year-old factory worker was detained after the incident.

He said five police roadblocks were conducted that day to keep the situation in check.

Passers-by were stunned by the brazen attack on Rela members.

Even pressmen on duty were not spared as some were shoved by the revellers. They were later escorted away from the scene by police for safety reasons.

Bernama TV cameraman Gary Yeap, 20, lodged a police report at the Patani Road police station, claiming that he was punched on the lip.

Yeap said the man also threatened to harm him if the footage of the scene was shown on television.

At the stroke of midnight, thousands lined the popular sea front promenade, with many behaving wildly.

Traffic came almost to a standstill as the road was choked with revellers.

Youths holding snow spray cans sprayed foam onto the windscreens and side windows of passing motorists.

Some even lifted the windscreen wipers to prevent drivers from sweeping away the foam.

Supt Gan said more policemen would be deployed in hot spots and would be beefed up during New Year's eve.