Brothers catch and hold motorcyclist being chased

Two brothers who pulled from a motorcyle a man being pursued by police in Dunedin early on Saturday afternoon have been praised.

Brendan Molloy, of Christchurch, said he and his brother James, of Sydney, were inDunedin to visit their parents, who live in Mornington.

Speaking from Christchurch yesterday, Brendan Molloy said he and his brother heard the motorcycle "screaming around" the area, and their mother had received a "bit of a fright" earlier when it was ridden past at high speed, followed by a police car in pursuit.

When the rider rode on to Zingari Richmond Rugby Club's field the brothers ran after him and "somehow" managed to get the man on his road bike into a banked corner of the field that the bike could not negotiate.

"Then the bike stalled and I just reached out and grabbed him. He was quite a big guy, with tattoos all over him.

"He did get the bike going again, and tried to take off, and I thought 'Here we go'."

But his brother also grabbed the rider at that momentand between them, they pulled him off the motorcycle andheld the man on the ground until police arrived.

"It was a bit of drama for a Saturday afternoon."

He said he and his brother felt they had to do something, before someone got hurt.

Senior Sergeant Craig Brown, said police had been pursuing the motorcyle around Mornington for a short period, before the brothers caught the rider. Their assistance was "very much" appreciated by police, he said.

The 22-year-old rider, who was wanted for arrest for unpaid fines, will appear before justices of the peace today, on charges of breaching his bail by riding the motorcycle, failing to stop and dangerous driving.