Hostage hides plea for help in online pizza order

A quick-thinking mother in the US helped bring a hostage situation to an end when she included a message to call 911 in an online pizza order.

Florida woman Cheryl Treadway was being detained in her home along with her three children by her husband Ethan Nickerson, 26, yesterday, local TV station 10 News reports.

After a day of arguing Nickerson had allegedly taken the mother's phone from her but when he briefly handed it back so she could order pizza online she seized her opportunity to raise the alarm.

"Please help! Get 911 to me," the note accompanying her Pizza Hut order read as well as '911 hostage help".

When staff at the Avon Park eatery saw the order they knew something was wrong and immediately alerted police.

Hostage negotiator Lieutenant Curtis Ludden arrived at the couple's home a short time after, prompting Ms Treadway to run out of the property holding one of their children.

The other two stayed inside with Nickerson but around 20 minutes later he exited the home without incident.

He was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a weapon without intent to kill, battery, false imprisonment, and obstructing justice by depriving communication to law enforcement.