Boy George handcuffed a male escort to a wall in his house after suspecting he had hacked his personal computer, a court has been told.

Audun Carlsen claims that the former Culture Club star, whose real name is George O’Dowd, chained him up to a wall in his house in Shoreditch in April last year.

Carlsen freed himself from the restraints before fleeing the singer's home in his boxer shorts and a pair of handcuffs.

The court was told that Carlsen managed to make it to a local newsagents who alerted the police.

The pair, who met each other after making contact on the social networking portal Gaydar, both took part in a pornographic photo shoot during which O'Dowd performed a sex act on Carlsen.

According to the BBC, O'Dowd accused the male escort of attempting to hack into his PC, although the pair later parted on good terms.

O'Dowd pleaded not guilty to the charges in February. The trial at Snaresbrook Crown in London is due to last five days.

(by Jason Gregory)