Tony Blair Pic: Stephen Medlock

A barman attempted to put Tony Blair under citizen’s arrest while he was in a restaurant in Shoreditch last Friday night.

DJ Twiggy Garcia attempted the citizen’s arrest while the former Prime Minister was in Tramshed, the popular Mark Hix restaurant in east London, as he was having dinner with family and friends.

Garcia told Vice: “He [Blair] was sitting at the head of a table upstairs with about eight other people eating dinner. I went over to him, put my hand on his shoulder and said ‘Mr Blair, this is a citizen’s arrest for a crime against peace, namely your decision to launch an unprovoked war against Iraq. I am inviting you to accompany me to a police station to answer the charge’.”

According to Garcia, Blair, who is now a Middle East peace envoy, responded with a “typical Teflon Tony” performance, and tried to engage the barman in a debate about Syria.

Garcia said that the arrest was not planned, but was “something I have wanted to do for a few years”.

He added: “Lots of people have been contacting me to say well done. I’m still in disbelief that I got the opportunity to citizen’s arrest the former Prime Minister.”

A spokesperson for the former Prime Minister said: ““Mr Blair did offer to discuss the issue – that offer was declined and the individual walked off. Nothing else happened. Everyone is fine and they had a great time.”

This is the fifth attempt to place Blair under citizen arrest since he left office.

The website arrestblair.org offers a reward of around £2,150 to anyone who can arrest him for his part in the Iraq war.