Prime Minister John Key apologises for pulling waitress' hair

John Key, the New Zealand Prime Minister has apologised after pulling a waitress' hair.

BBC reports that the unnamed waitress wrote in a blog that he had tugged her ponytail on several occasions staring  during last November's election campaign, when Mr Key's National Party was re-elected.

Said waitress said he had continued even after she had asked him not to, adding that she had begun avoiding him whenever he came into the cafe, and had told his security officers that she didn't like her hair being pulled.

He then later apologised and gave the waitress two personalised bottles of wine.

He also reporters on Wednesday that he had "a very warm and friendly relationship" with staff at the cafe where "we have lots of fun and games there, there's always lots of practical jokes and things".

But one of the leaders of New Zealand's Green Party, Metiria Turei, said his actions raised questions about workplace bullying, adding that a politician's job was to make people fee safe not bullied.

Meanwhile New Zealanders have been discussing Key's actions on Twitter with the hashtags #tailgate and #ponytailgate.