Michael Bay tells of attack by 'drugged up zombie' on Transformers 4 set in Hong Kong

Seven security guards and 15 police officers needed to subdue attackers

Transformers director Michael Bay has given a colourful account of the goings-on at his Hong Kong set (AP)

Director Michael Bay has told of the attack on him and his crew on the set of Transformers: Age of Extinction in Hong Kong.

He claimed it took seven security staff and 15 riot police officers to subdue the "zombie" who demanded money from the upcoming blockbuster's crew, hurled an air conditioner unit and tried to bite a guard's foot.

Local media had claimed the director was set upon by two brothers who were angry about losing out on disturbance fees paid to residents likely to be affected by the filming of the fourth instalment of the Transformers franchise. They allegedly demanded £8,000 and became violent, and were later arrested by police, along with a third man.

But Mr Bay addressed the situation in colourful detail, saying: "Yes, some drugged up guys were being belligerent asses to my crew for hours in the morning of our first shoot day in Hong Kong.

"One guy rolled metal carts into some of my actors trying to shake us down for thousands of dollars to not play his loud music or hit us with bricks.

"Every vendor where we shot got paid a fair price for our inconvenience, but he wanted four times that amount.

"I personally told this man and his friends to forget it we were not going to let him extort us. He didn't like that answer. So an hour later he came by my crew as we were shooting, carrying a long air conditioner unit.

"He walked right up to me and tried to smack my face, but I ducked threw the air unit on the floor and pushed him away. That's when the security jumped on him."

Bay said it took "seven big guys" to subdue the man, adding: "It was like a Zombie in Brad Pitt's movie World War Z – he lifted seven guys up and tried to bite them. He actually bit into one of the guards Nike shoe, insane. Thank god it was an Air Max, the bubble popped, but the toe was saved.

"Then it took fifteen Hong Kong cops in riot gear to deal with these punks. In all, four guys were arrested for assaulting the officers."

Despite the experience, he concluded: "After that, we had a great day shooting here in Hong Kong. The place couldn't be better."