The mayor of the Waikato town of Huntly is roundly criticising an alleged racist attack against a group of New Zealand-born Muslim women.

Mehpara Khan, 28, was on a road trip with friends yesterday when a stranger approached the group, who had stopped for a toilet break in Huntly.

Racial abuse was hurled at the group and a can of beer thrown at them, and a video of the incident was posted to social media.

A 27-year-old woman has been arrested and will appear in Hamilton District Court today on assault and offensive language charges.

READ MORE: Arrest made after alleged racist attack

Waikato District mayor Alan Sanson said the attacker probably isn't local, and locals aren't impressed.

"It's pretty disappointing to see somebody act like that," he said.

"It's not the New Zealand way. It's not what I expect."

Islamic Women's Council spokeswoman Anjum Rahman said yesterday that it was "very disappointing but not surprising" for such an attack to happen.

"Muslim women are often the ones who bear the brunt of attacks by strangers in public places.

"We get a lot of drive-by comments. People yelling at us.

"Many Muslim women have reported incidents in supermarkets, when they're just doing their own shopping. It does happen and it is disturbing whenever it happens."

Prime minister Bill English said yesterday that such attacks should never be allowed to happen in New Zealand.