The three-strong gang armed with sledgehammers and machetes broke into a jewelers’ store near Liverpool Street station in central London and grabbed luxury pieces worth thousands of British pounds.
Footage captured by a passer-by on his cell phone camera shows the moment a heroic man, dressed in a smart suit, leaps on the back of a fleeing robber after the raid on the shop which sells luxury pieces such as Rolex, Franck Muller and Audemars Piguet watches.
Two men, dressed in black outfits and motorbike helmets, emerge from inside the exclusive Carr Watches and Diamonds store at about 2:30 p.m. (14:30 GMT) Thursday. The first robber jumps on a moped and another, carrying a sledgehammer, mounts a second moped.
As a third robber, also clad in black and wearing a motorcycle helmet, runs to catch up with the first two, an officer in plain clothes uses his car to block the second moped which swerves and takes off. The move prevents the third robber from getting on the moped. He then tries to escape by running.
At that moment, a man in a suit, being described in the British media as a “have-a-go hero,” appears behind the fleeing robber and jumps on his back and tries to tackle him to the ground.
But as the brave man struggles with robber, he (robber) pulls out a machete, raises and waves it menacingly. The move forces the brave man, and another man who comes to his assistance, to back off. The police officer also attempts to approach the robber but retreats when he sees the weapon.
Meanwhile, the first two robbers escape on their scooters, leaving their mate behind as he grapples with the brave man who tried to stop him.
According to eyewitness, the men broke into the jewelry store as workers returned from lunch break. They used a concrete slab to break the strengthened glass door, and then sledgehammers to smash open glass cases. They were able to grab luxury watches worth thousands of pounds.
Commenting on the robbery and bravery of the man who tried to stop one of the robbers, a worker at the jewelry shop, Ish Ahmet, 30, told The Evening Standard, “It was all a shock, it was over so quickly. The City worker chased after them, it was pure instinct. He tried to grab one. It was a brave thing to do. He was tough and is back at work today, he is OK. They came in the shop and then it was a bit of a blur obviously it was a shock for us.”
“We are not sure what they got away with, some watches we think maybe Rolexes but we are not sure at the moment. I have been through this other times at other jewelry stores in London where I have worked. You just have to get back on with it,” he added.
Another eyewitness said, “I could not believe what I was seeing in the middle of Liverpool Street. I heard a crash and looked and there was a guy swinging a sledgehammer. It was surreal like something out of a Hollywood movie. The next thing a smartly dressed man tried to tackle one of the robbers but was then threatened with a massive machete. We were all looking on in total shock and horror, it did not last long but everything was total chaos.
“The man who tried to stop them was a real have a go hero. He could have been killed. He looked tough but when you are against a machete you have no chance. At least he slowed them down though.”
The local media have not identified the hero because he asked to remain anonymous.
The Daily Mirror reports he said he was not a hero.
“There’s no hero, there’s been a robbery. Someone’s come in and swung at us. It’s been very traumatic.”
A City of London Police spokesman confirmed that they received a call to the Carr Watches and Diamonds shop at 2:34 p.m. Thursday.
Officers followed the suspect who was left behind by his mates to an underground car park on Gravel Lane, near Aldgate station, only about 300 meters away from the crime scene. The robber was arrested and the machete he wielded recovered.
The Daily Mail reports that City of London police said the arrested robber has been charged with “conspiracy to rob and threatening a person with a blade article in a public place.”
Police said the other two robbers are still at large.
