Surprised - and in big trouble after bucks night

Craig Marshall hates surprises and is notoriously difficult to catch out. Being kidnapped in Mission Bay certainly came as a surprise, and he gives full credit to his groomsmen, including twin brother Warren and "trusted fiancee" Christina Steel for sucking him in.

"It is very hard to get one over me. I'm normally pretty much on to it. So it was brilliant. I was punked. They are legendary boys."

Unfortunately the elaborate stag's night prank had repercussions.

It all began last Saturday when Mr Marshall went to Mission Bay for an icecream with his fiancee and daughter.

As they waited at the lights, a purple van pulled up and out popped his groomsmen with balaclavas.

Mr Marshall realised "I'd been done" and, laughing, got into the van.

Onlookers called the police. Cue unhappy police, worried groomsmen, and instant fame from footage of groom running down a street in a bikini on national television.

A week after his staged kidnapping, his groomsmen and abductors were still sweating it out, waiting to hear if the police would punish them. Mr Marshall was hoping it would be before his wedding, so he'd know if his groomsmen were talking to him.

"I think they've paid enough for it, through worry alone."

Auckland City police have decided what action to take against the pranksters and said they would tell them in the next few days.

Christina rang the police to tell them of the prank.

"They weren't impressed. I sent Craig a text and said 'make sure you have a really good night, because we are all in heaps of crap'."

"And I can see their point," says Craig. "But it was a joke. And it was a good one. It was brilliant.

"We didn't tell [police] beforehand, but who would think to?"

The stags were oblivious to the fuss they had caused until 8.30pm. While the police hunted for him, the groom was put in a bikini - "those things just do not fit much in them" - and made to run 4km to his brother's house.

His groomsmen yelled at him through a megaphone whenever he stopped or tried to take off his bikini.

Fortunately, one man's nightmare boot camp is another's Xanadu. Craig said: "That would be rated as one of the best nights of my life. Oh - except for my wedding, of course, dear."

Both are slightly baffled the event became such a major issue.

Christina was surprised people were worried enough to ring the police, but did not check that the partner of the kidnapped one was all right.

As for Christina's hen's night - she enjoyed it but it won't quite get the same exalted status in the family annals. "Mine didn't quite make the news. But that's all good."