Police investigating a suspected kidnapping have stood down the inquiry after learning that the ‘victim’ got into the boot of a car voluntarily.

Witnesses raised the alarm after they saw a man being bundled into the boot of a car outside a student flat in Groningen’s Grote Beerstraat, shortly after what appeared to be a heated row.

Police had been trying since Saturday night to trace the car and its occupants, RTV Noord reported. When interviewed they explained that they had too many passengers to fit in the car, so the man agreed to travel in the boot.