Mount Frere - A man was wounded when he attacked police in Mount Frere who were attempting to arrest him for allegedly abducting a young woman, killing her, and then eating her flesh, Eastern Cape police said on Saturday.

At about 1.30pm on Saturday afternoon, a young man of about 23 "took a girl by force" from the main street in the Mount Frere CBD to his home "near the Engen garage", Captain Edith Mjoko said.

"He killed her with a knife by cutting her throat. When the mother of the suspect saw what was happening she rushed and called the police to the scene. When they arrived the suspect was busy eating the flesh of the deceased.

"Police members ordered him to stop and to hand himself over. He went berserk and stormed at them with the knife. Several warning shots were fired to deter him but in vain. He was shot and taken to hospital where he is under police guard."

A case of murder was being investigated. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) had also been informed of the shooting incident.