No one could beat the flames

CHRISTCHURCH - Thomas Hendry stapled and set fire to his penis but claims he is no masochist.

The student says he did it for the $500 cash prize to pay off his bills and buy some new clothes.

Mr Hendry's bizarre act with a stapler, a crucifix and lighter fluid took top prize in a promotion called How Far Will You Go? at the Trader McKendry's tavern in Christchurch.

The promotion, partly sponsored by Lion Breweries, involved patrons trying to out-do one another in lewd acts.

Mr Hendry admitted his act was inspired by an earlier contestant who pierced his foreskin with a safety pin.

"I thought I could do better than that."

He said the act nearly turned to disaster when the flames began burning him and a fire extinguisher he had on standby refused to work.

"Luckily a guy threw his drink on it and that put out the flames."

His mother, Barbara, was in the audience. Mr Hendry walked away with $500 cash and a $500 bar tab.

He spent the money paying his car registration and warrant of fitness and registration for his bloodhound cross, Puss.

The next day Mr Hendry, aged 23, went to a student medical centre to have his burned and bruised penis dressed.

A fortnight later he says he has almost fully recovered and has no regrets.

The police liquor licensing section is investigating the tavern promotion because the bar tab prize goes against the host responsibility programme it promotes among liquor licensees.

The contest has also embarrassed the Hospitality Association, whose Canterbury branch president, Marty Fuller, co-owns the tavern.

The association's national chief executive, Bruce Robertson, said it was an example of a good concept that went too far and got out of hand.

"I think it needed some boundaries and the premises concerned has certainly learned some lessons from it. It certainly did not anticipate or condone the outcome of where it ended up."

Mr Hendry, a computer technician trainee with an $8000 student debt, said: "I'm a student so every bit helps. It was worth the money. It's all better now. I thought my act was pretty unbeatable and that's what I was aiming for."

He disputed that the bar tab was an irresponsible prize. He said he intended using it to buy a lunch of burgers and pies every day. - NZPA