A shocking video has emerged showing would-be bike thieves attempting to steal bikes in broad daylight in a London park.
The footage, shared on the Tower Hamlets News Facebook page, shows a group of hooded suspects who were reportedly attempting to make off with bikes that had been chained to a fence.
One of the would-be thieves is seen brandishing an angle grinder in the video.
Video from the incident also shows a number of bystanders attempting to fend off the offenders in an attempt to prevent the thefts.
The incident reportedly happened at around 3pm on Sunday (March 21) in Victoria Park, in the Tower Hamlets borough in East London.
Victoria park is a popular green space in the heart of London and sits near a number of popular cycle routes, including National Cycle Route 1 on the Hertford Union Canal.
A one-minute and 14-second long video of the incident has been shared on social media, showing an altercation between the suspects and members of the public, with one member of the public dragging one of the suspects to the ground before they flee the scene.
The caption on the Facebook video said: “Victoria Park yesterday at around 3pm: Three young men were attempting to steal bikes using an angle grinder. They were confronted by members of the public who stopped them.”
Cycling Weekly has previously reported that bike theft has increased significantly since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last March.
One household insurer saw an almost 50 per cent increase in bike thefts since the start of the pandemic.
Cycling retailers have seen a significant jump in the number of people buying bikes, as they look for new ways of staying fit and travelling to work.
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But in turn criminals have been taking advantage of cycling’s growing popularity, resulting in an increase in bike thefts, despite burglaries falling because people are staying at home.
