Hand left hanging off after attack

A man’s hand was left hanging off after a machete attack at a home near Dunedin, police say.

Senior Sergeant Alastair Dickie said police responded to reports a man’s hand had been cut off by a machete.

A man was arrested outside the house after being confronted by police dogs and officers.

‘‘He wasn’t going to argue with that.’’

‘‘Things got a bit heated and went from bad to worse,’’ Dickie, who is set to retire, said.

Asked if the hand was still attached he replied, ‘‘just’’. ‘‘It is a fairly serious injury.’’

A woman was in the house at the time of the incident.

Police had been unable to locate the weapon as yet, he said.

Family members could be seen seen visibly upset outside the address following the incident in Taieri Beach Rd about midday yesterday. No charges had been laid yet. Dickie said the injured man had been transported to Dunedin Hospital.

A St John spokesman said an ambulance and a rescue helicopter were dispatched to the scene at 11.59am.

The patient was transported by ambulance to a nearby location and then flown to hospital with serious injuries, he said.

Earlier a witness reported police cars ‘‘screaming’’ towards Taieri Beach.