Terrifying footage has captured the moment two moped-riding criminals tried to steal an electric bike as the owner was riding it through London.
The victim – who caught the ordeal on a helmet camera – was cycling along a residential street when a biker pulled up close alongside him.
He then spotted a second moped following closely behind.
In a bid to throw off the chasing bikes, the cyclist pulled onto the pavement, but the two thieves tried to block his path.
The shocking video shows fearful onlookers, including two mothers pushing their children in prams as the drama unfolded.
According to the footage, the pursuit began in Lower Clapton Road, in Hackney, north London, on Saturday, January 10.
He was able to slip away into the residential Mildenhall Road, but the determined pair of thieves refused to give up, with the electric bike rider forced to stay on the pavement to keep his distance.
The victim then bravely dismounted his bike and confronted the thugs, with the pair of them seen speeding off.
Terrifying footage has captured the moment two moped-riding criminals tried to steal an electric bike as the owner was riding it through London
In a bid to throw off the chasing bikes, the cyclist pulled onto the pavement, but the two thieves tried to block his path
The victim eventually dismounted his bike and confronted the duo, with the pair of criminals seen speeding off
After the footage was uploaded onto social media, one user exclaimed: ‘I have never even thought about bike to bike warfare before. What are you supposed to do?
‘Carry to defend yourself against such circumstances?’
Another added: ‘I’m confused, they are now trying to steal bikes whilst it’s moving and not locked up. What is going on out there?’
A third described the criminals as ‘brazen’.
The Met Police has been approached for comment.
This latest incident comes just months after cyclists in Regent’s Park reported being robbed by hammer-wielding thugs on mopeds.
Cycle club members who gather in the north-west London park each day before it opens to cars reported suffering a series of violent robberies by armed ‘bike-jackers’.
Patrick Conneely, who lives in from Leyton, east London, was doing a lap around the Outer Circle road when he was passed by two men riding a moped, who inspected his bike before turning around and pursuing him.
Exclusive video obtained by the Daily Mail showed the shocking encounter that followed, with one of the men leaping off the moped and shouting at Mr Conneely to, as he recalled, ‘Give me the f*****g bike’.
After the 33-year-old bravely refused, the thug took a hammer from the top box and waved it at him while continuing to shout violent threats. He then grabbed the bike and jumped on the moped carrying it above his head.
At this point Mr Conneely surged forward and tried to push the moped over before the men rode away at speed.
The data analyst believes that the way the pair inspected the brand of his Trek Domane bike before deciding to target him showed they ‘knew what they were doing’ during the incident last February.
A Freedom of Information response from Met Police reported that in the year up to December 2023, 768 crimes of a pedal cycle being stolen using violence or the threat of violence were reported – equivalent to ’15 violent attacks each week, every week of the year’.
A poll of members of Regent’s Park Cyclists undertaken last year also found that out of 1,400 respondents, 91 per cent felt less safe due to a recent surge in violent robberies, with 59 per cent admitting they had reduced their cycling as a consequence.
In a statement at the time, Chief Inspector John Hine, from the Royal Parks unit, said: ‘We have been working hard to curb bike thefts in and around Regent’s Park including patrolling hotspot locations.
‘In particular since January, we have stood up additional plain clothes and uniform officers, especially at night and before the park officially opens in the early hours of the morning.
‘This is a key priority for the team, and given the violence used in these attacks, we will continue to ensure that we do all we can to put a stop to these crimes.’
