A video has emerged from south London of a gang brazenly using a cordless angle grinder and a hammer to try to steal a motor scooter.
The astonishing clip was captured by the owner of the scooter they were attempting to steal in Battersea on April 28.
In the video two members of the gang go to work on the locks while two others wait on their own scooters with the engines running, presumably for a quick getaway.
The would-be thieves seem completely unfazed by the amount of noise they make or by the shower of sparks which fly from the locks they attempt to cut.
According to the filmer, six of his neighbours were awoken in the incident and even with them looking on, the thieves kept trying to steal the vehicle for 20 minutes. One of them even waves at an onlooker.
When the police arrived, the thieves fled without the scooter but the police did not give chase.
Police have been banned from pursuing criminals on mopeds or motorbikes on London’s streets because of the risk to the suspect or members of the public.
