Five Perth men have been charged over a prank which prompted a member of the public to call police, believing a kidnapping was in progress.

The men, aged between 21 and 25, staged the prank at an intersection in the Perth suburb of Leederville in September last year.

At a red light, one of the men escaped from the boot of a car.

The man, who was handcuffed and in his underpants, was chased into the bush by a second man.

The incident was filmed by two cameras, including one on a freeway overpass, before being uploaded to video sharing website YouTube.

The hoax came unstuck when a member of the public phoned police believing a kidnapping had taken place.

A five-month investigation by detectives has resulted in all five men being charged with creating a false belief.

They are due in court next month.

The video has attracted thousands of hits. The group which posted it has a compilation of videos on their site, including practical jokes and pranks filmed at fast food drive-throughs and at shopping centres.