A woman was held 'hostage' by a possum in her home

The unnamed woman, from New Zealand, told police officers that she was unable to leave her house as the animal would charge at her whenever she tried to escape.

Police arrived at the property in Dunedin and the possum climbed up an officer's leg when approached. The officer was unharmed in the incident.

Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen believes that the possum could have been an escaped pet or recently separated from its mother.

Vet Dr Rachael Stratton thinks that the animal was acting out of fear rather than aggression.

She said: "The typical thing for most wild animals would be to run away. Unless, as it’s a juvenile, it is perhaps still learning how to deal with threats."

The possum has since been released into the wild in order to prevent any further harassment.

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