Police intervened to free Mayor Jorge Luis Escandón Hernández, who reportedly suffered no major injuries.

It was the second attack by farmers demanding that he fulfil his campaign promise to repair a local road.

Extra officers have been deployed to the village in Chiapas state.

Mayors and local politicians in Mexico are often targeted by drug gangs when they refuse to cooperate with their criminal schemes but it is less common for them to be attacked over their campaign promises.

Mr Escandón said he would press charges for abduction and attempted murder.

Video taken by bystanders outside the mayor's office showed a group of men pulling him out of the building and forcing him onto the back of the vehicle.

In an earlier incident four months ago, a group of men trashed his office when they did not find him there.

In the lead-up to the mayoral election in Las Margaritas, Mr Escandón was himself arrested on suspicion of taking part in a brawl with supporters of a rival candidate.

He was released for lack of evidence.