A MAN who went on a violent rampage at the Gold Coast Airport has been subjected to a citizens’ arrest amid accusations security at the complex is “lax”.

Witnesses said the man was screaming, causing a little girl to run, before he picked up a rubbish bin and started smashing a self-serve check-in machine inside the Virgin Terminal.

The outburst prompted Sydney man Dean, who didn’t provide his last name, to intervene because “there was no security in sight”.

The incident was captured on video as Dean tried to subdue the man and contain the situation.

“As soon as I saw the little girl run away, this guy was going off, I couldn’t understand what he was saying, and being a father you just think ‘Nah this isn’t going to happen anymore’,” he told 2GB’s Ray Hadley.

“I just ran in I didn’t even think about it.”

The man started throwing punches at Dean, who was returning home from a golfing holiday, before two of his mates from Winston Swingers golf club “ran over” and helped to restrain him.

“There was no security around and that was the thing that was a bit scary because it went on for about a minute before this guy started attacking the machine,” Dean said.

The group wrestled the man to the ground and held his hands behind his back.

“A couple of the boys grabbed a couple of those black zip ties from behind the counter and put them around him and waited for the police to turn up,” Dean said.

“He sort of kept resisting … screaming and mumbling and no one knew what (he was saying), it was a language no one has ever heard of before. I didn’t know what was going on.

Dean said he was “looking around waiting for security to jump in” but nothing happened.

“No one from the airport came in. It was 5-6 minutes until police took over from there.”

Hadley pointed out that if “someone (was) wanting to cause serious injury … the security was lax”.

The AFP eventually arrived and “carted the man off”.

A spokesperson for the Australian Federal Police said the organisation “detained a 29-year-old man after reports that he was damaging property and threatened an individual”.

“The safety of the travelling public at major airports remains a key priority for the AFP,” a statement from the organisation read.

“Further investigations in relation to this matter are ongoing.”

The Gold Coast Airport did not respond to questions about whether or not its security team was sufficiently staffed and equipped to deal with minor or major security breaches.

“Gold Coast Airport acknowledges an incident that occurred in the terminal on Monday 29 May, when a man became violent and was restrained,” a statement from a Gold Coast Airport spokesperson read.

“Australian Federal Police provides a first response role regarding security incidents at Gold Coast Airport.

“The airport takes security and the safety of passengers and staff seriously and is working with AFP as the matter is investigated.”

Dean said a Virgin air hostesses who witnessed the incident upgraded him to business class on his flight home as a ‘thank you’ for restraining the man.

megan.palin@news.com.au