Motorist performs citizen's arrest on policeman and locks him in his own marked van after seeing him 'drink driving'

Russell George noticed officer driving erratically in South African town

After smelling alcohol on the officer's breath he took action into own hands

Locked unnamed officer in his own van while waiting for police to arrive

Witness described the officer as 'sloshed' and said he was crying



A vigilante motorist locked a policeman in the back of his own police van after he allegedly caught the officer drink-driving in South Africa.



Russell George made a citizen's arrest after spotting the traffic officer driving erratically in the town of Pietermaritzburg.

Mr George phoned the police after the initial encounter with the unnamed officer's marked vehicle on Sunday evening before he was forced to taken action into his own hands.

Citizen's arrest: Russell George reported locked a policeman in the back of his own police van after he caught him drink-driving in the South African town of Pietermaritzburg

The civilian motorist told the South Africa's Witness newspaper that he could smell alcohol on the policeman's breath.

Mr George said: 'He was driving towards oncoming traffic - at this point I was concerned about the safety of other road users.

'He suddenly jammed on his brakes and came to a complete stop. I got out of my car and went towards him and I asked him if he knew what he was doing.

'He started his car and carried on driving.'

Mr George said the police officer drove off but later stopped at an intersection.

The self-employed family man called 10111, the South African equivalent of 999, and was told officers would attend the scene.

He added: 'After five minutes, no one had arrived. So I jumped out of my car and I approached the driver's side and asked him to come out.

'He looked at me and I could smell that he had been drinking. I asked him again, and he refused.

Vigilante: Russell George made a citizen's arrest after spotting the traffic officer driving erratically in the town of Pietermaritzburg

Erratic: The police officer was driving erratically near Pietermaritzburg, South Africa when Mr George was forced to intervene

'I then grabbed his keys, pulled him out and locked him in the back of his own van.'

Another witness told how the policeman had to be pulled out of his vehicle, which was reportedly badly damaged.

Khanyi Mnikathi, who watched the unusual scene unfold, said: 'He was quite sloshed. He was weak enough for him to be pulled out and into the back of the van.

'When he was put into the back he started crying.'

Miss Mnikathi said when a team of police officers arrived at the scene they were 'quite embarrassed' by their colleague's behaviour.

She added: 'It was ironic because it was a citizen who put him in the back of his own van.'

The Witness reported a claim that the officer had been drinking to celebrate his birthday before using his police vehicle to get home.

He was arrested at the scene and taken for questioning at a police station in the town, which lies in South Africa's eastern KwaZulu-Natal province.

It was also reported the same officer had previously been involved in a separate incident at a local nightclub, where he allegedly held up his girlfriend at gunpoint.

Police spokesperson Joey Jeevan today confirmed the officer had been charged over the incident.

She said: 'The officer was taken for questioning and has since been charged with driving a state vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and with reckless and negligent driving.