Theresa May has backed 'robust' tactics employed by the Metropolitan Police to combat moped-based crimes, such as bag snatching.
The prime minister announced her support for the strategy following the release of footage showing people on mopeds being rammed by police vehicles.
Commissioner of the Met Cressida Dick revealed on Friday that at least two people had suffered broken bones as a result of being rammed, but the prime minister has insisted that it is 'absolutely right' that police deploy the tactic.
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When asked about the subject, while in Argentina for the G20 summit, she said: "These people on these mopeds are acting unlawfully and committing crimes and I think it's absolutely right that we see a robust police response to that.
"Moped crime has been an issue of concern for some time now, as it has been growing in certain areas, in particular in London."
Ms Dick said police have been forced to 'put the fear back into the criminal'.
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Speaking to Channel 5, she said: "My officers make life-and-death decisions every day of the week, they're very accountable.
"They make the best possible decisions. We are in a risk business. We've had to put the fear back into the criminal.
"These are people who have been repeatedly left in no doubt whatsoever that there's a police car right behind them.
"If you look over your shoulder and drive on as fast as possible, putting the public in danger, you should expect we will come after you."
But there have been concerns raised about the combative strategy. Labour MP Diane Abbott was among those to object to the 'potentially very dangerous' technique:
But Commander of Front Line Policing Amanda Pearson said 'tactical contact' is a means of averting further danger to the public.
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She said: "It's extremely dynamic and rapid. It's forward thinking. We try to mitigate that pursuit but if we end up in a pursuit, if that means tactical contact we are looking at as slow a speed as possible.
"Those rides are not just riding dangerously in a pursuit. They are riding dangerously before it's a police issue. It's not police that are creating that danger.
"We have to weight up the risk to them and to the public - if we don't intervene, what is going to happen?"
According to Scotland Yard, there has been a 36 percent drop in crime involving mopeds in the capital city since October 2017. During this period, 64 'tactical contacts' have been made by specially trained officers.
