Shocking footage has emerged showing a masked criminal stealing someone's bike using an angle grinder to break the lock. The thief brandishes the angle grinder at a member of the public who challenges him before making off with the bicycle. You can see the horrific video below:
The incident took place outside a school near London Fields in East London within the past few weeks.
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Witnesses to the crime tried to help out and implored the criminal to stop, but - understandably - they were unable to prevent the theft.
Passersby can be heard telling the thief to 'f*** off' and calling the police, while some even grabbed the handlebars of the bike.
One person can be heard shouting: "Boys, I'm calling the police. You better go, run. F*** off. What are you doing? F*** off."
However, things could have turned really ugly as the perpetrator then turned around to confront those intervening with the buzzing saw.
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Brandishing the angle grinder, the thug shouted: "F****** come near me, I dare you. Who's gonna come near me?"
That caused the bystanders to get right out of the way, which presented him with an opportunity to get away carrying off the red bike, which is thought to be a Brompton bicycle that could be worth as much as £1,000 ($1,200).
The dramatic video of the whole incident was then shared onto Twitter anonymously and has since been viewed more than 15,000 times.
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Angry residents and citizens have been weighing in on the video to express their shock and disbelief at the brazen daylight robbery of the bike.
One person said: "They get away with it because they know everyone is scared of them. They do it because they can, they won't stop. They take what they want when they want."
Another said: "Why are we letting them rule our streets? We are too soft in this country. Need to toughen up and come down hard on the youth of today and their parents."
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A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "Police are aware of a video circulating on social media appearing to show the theft of a bike and threats being made against a member of the public in Westgate Street, Hackney.
"At this time, no report of the actual incident has been made and no victims have come forward.
"Officers were made aware of the video on Wednesday, February 19, and an investigation is under way to determine the circumstances of the incident and locate any suspects."
Featured Image Credit: Dave Rudge News