TWO members of the ABC's The Chaser team have been detained by police while performing a prank at Sydney's InterContinental Hotel, ABC management has said.
Julian Morrow and Chas Licciardello, stars of the satirical ABC TV program The Chaser's War on Everything, were detained late this morning during a stunt at the hotel where US president George W Bush is a guest during the APEC summit.
"At this stage we can confirm that Julian Morrow and Chas Licciardello have been detained," ABC spokesman Peter Ritchie said.
"Our ABC lawyers and management are currently in discussion with the police and that's really all I can say at this stage."
He declined to mention what the stunt involved or whether any prominent politicians were in the building at the time.
"They were producing a stunt, they were producing material," he said.
"They were shooting for the program, they were at the hotel, police detained them and ABC lawyers and management are with the boys."
However Chaser team member Chris Taylor told Fairfax the stunt involved a fake motorcade made up of three cars.
"A lot of people were involved (in this stunt)," he told ABC radio. "Some have been detained and some haven't."
Chaser team members yesterday staged a stunt during an anti-APEC protest, with Taylor appearing as a police officer on a pantomime horse - a dig at the fact equine flu has prevented NSW police horses being used for APEC security.
Mr Ritchie believed Mr Licciardello would be feeling relaxed about today's situation, given his prior experience with the police.
He was charged last year with offensive conduct over a prank outside a Bulldogs rugby league match, although the charge was later thrown out of court.
