Police back men who hog-tied pub patron

Five men who caught and hog-tied a man allegedly being threatening and abusive at a remote Central Otago hotel have had the thumbs up from police.

The man was at the Glenorchy Hotel last Wednesday when the manager Coral Sneddon became concerned about his violent behaviour and called police to get advice on whether locals could restrain him, the Otago Daily Times reported.

Ms Sneddon said police were 45 minutes away in Queenstown and agreed that if the man presented a danger then restraining him would be a good option.

Five locals then grabbed the man, threw him on to a pool table and "hog-tied him", she said.

Sergeant Kate Pirovano said making the phone call to police was the sensible thing to do and that detaining people under circumstances such as the one in question was a good option.

She cautioned that people should always contact the police first and then take action only as "a last resort".

Queenstown police had already been alerted to the man's alleged behaviour earlier in the day.

- NZPA