Police had to be called in to restore order after a crowd gathered to see a cheating wife and her lover locked together during sex after the rumour spread that her husband had asked a witch doctor to put a curse on her private parts.

And although medical experts say the embarrassing experience was more likely a case of 'penis captivus', in which the woman's vagina had contracted too much and trapped the man's penis, they were unable to stop the rumour and the mob had quickly assembled.

Local media said that unfaithful Sasha Ngema, 34, had reportedly been romping with toyboy Sol Qoboza, 22, at a rented apartment in the city of Johannesburg in South Africa while her husband was away on business.

Police had to be called in to restore order after a crowd gathered to see a cheating wife and her lover locked together during sex after the rumour spread that her husband had asked a witch doctor to put a curse on her private parts

According to the story that spread like wildfire through the neighbourhood, they found they could not separate afterwards apparently because suspicious hubby Neill, 42, had gone to a witch doctor who put the curse on his wife's private parts before he left.

The spell, known as a muthi, is designed to make sure that if someone other than the husband tries to have sex with the woman in question, he will remain stuck until the husband returns to extract his revenge.

The shocked couple began calling for help, which soon turned into screams as they became more desperate for him to withdraw, according to local media.

Neighbour Priscilla Ndlovu, 34, said: 'At first I thought it was just the screams of sexual pleasure, but it turned out to be screams for help.

'I knocked on the door to see if everything was OK, and when I went in I saw him lying on top of her sobbing as she screamed to be freed.'

News of the curse quickly spread and by the time police arrived over 2,000 people had swarmed onto the street outside the apartment block demanding to see the cheating couple.

A police spokesman said: 'We had to use pepper spray to disperse the crowd as they refused to leave and were causing huge problems.'

Local woman Janet Pieterse, 35, said: 'Everyone was curious to see what was happening because although you always hear about such things you never see it.

Unfortunate: Medics said although rare it was possible that a man's penis could become trapped inside the woman in exceptional circumstances

WHAT IS 'PENIS CAPTIVUS'? When the penis is in the vagina it becomes increasingly engorged, Dr John Dean, a UK-based sexual physician, told the BBC. He said: 'The muscles of the woman's pelvic floor contract rhythmically at orgasm. While those muscles contract the penis becomes stuck and further engorged.' Finally the vaginal muscles relax, the blood flows out of the penis and the man can withdraw. He said that over the years, several of his patients have discussed their experience of getting 'stuck' - more out of curiosity than because it was a problem, he added. Advertisement

'The police's reaction was completely over the top.'

The couple were reportedly taken away by an ambulance that had been called to the scene.

It took the pair to a local hospital but local magic specialist Sangoma Mathabo Mofokeng said: 'No one will be able to separate them until the woman's husband comes back.'

However, medics said although rare it was possible that a man's penis could become trapped inside the woman in exceptional circumstances.

In October last year for example Italian media reported how a couple's plan for an outdoor romp in the sea ended in agony when they became stuck together during sex.

The Italian couple had reportedly taken advantage of a warm day and an isolated beach in the Marche region of Italy by going for a skinny dip in the sea, and embracing in a passionate clinch.

But the passion soon became embarrassment and pain when they realised they were unable to pull away from one another after sex at sea.

A woman who was passing by on the beach came to the amorous couple's rescue and called emergency services.

She handed them a towel to protect their modesty as they sheepishly scrambled back on to the beach, still 'as one' the newspaper reported.

They were taken to a local hospital, where a doctor freed them by giving the woman an injection to dilate her uterus.

Penis captivus is a rare occurrence in intercourse when the muscles in the vagina clamp down on the penis much more firmly than usual (a form of vaginismus), making it impossible for the penis to withdraw from the vagina.

Two papers published by 19th-century German gynaecologists Scanzoni and Hildebrandt, had dealt with cases of the condition. Scanzoni's patient was 'a completely healthy young woman, married for six months'.