A teenage girl is in hospital after she was allegedly followed by three men and raped at knifepoint in a random attack in Albury, in southern New South Wales, police say.

The 17-year-old girl told police she was walking along the Dean Street overpass, near the city’s central business district, at 6:20pm on Tuesday night when the three men began following her.

Inspector Scott Russell said the men grabbed the girl and dragged her into bushes.

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“The two of the males allegedly took hold of the girl and took her into a nearby bush, where one of the males took a knife and threatened her, before she was sexually assaulted,” he said.

The men ran off along Dean Street and the girl contacted police, he said.

She was assessed by paramedics and taken to the Albury hospital for treatment.

“Obviously a very traumatic event, although she was visibly upset and shaken, she appears to have not received any further physical injuries,” Inspector Russell said.

Inspector Russell appealed for witnesses to come forward.

“It’s just on dusk, so we ask the public, somebody must have seen something, and we ask that anyone that might have seen or heard anything, or have any information to please contact us here at the Albury police station, or Crime Stoppers,” he said.

“We will be speaking to the young lady later today so hopefully from speaking with her we will be able to provide some further information about this incident and hopefully get some information out to the public about some possible suspects.”

He said police would be canvassing businesses in the area to see if there was CCTV that may assist in with their investigation.