United Kingdom

Robbers with a hammer are trying to rob a motorcyclist in Elephant & Castle

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Two robbers with machetes caused alarm when they tried to snatch a motorcycle at one of the busiest roundabouts in London, witnesses said.

The alleged victim managed to pull out a huge knife from one of the attackers while they were trying to take his motorcycle in traffic around the Elephant and Castle roundabout at 6.30 pm last night.

One viewer told The Standard that the robbers were “fearless”, adding: “It was crazy to try something at such a busy intersection. There were many people around coming from different directions. The atmosphere was so quiet and tense. “

They said that after losing the machete, the thugs returned with a hammer to intimidate the victim to hand over the motorcycle.

The couple, riding a black moped, walked around the victim in a purple jacket, fleeing to safety on the sidewalk with the large knife he had swung at him a few minutes earlier, witnesses said.

A woman from Gloucestershire told MailOnline: “I was going back to Elephant and Castle and something didn’t go right.

“He had a bicycle on the floor and another was looking in the wrong direction. I was walking with my aunt and I said “this man has a knife”, I saw the long blade … I just thought I would see someone die.

“I live in the countryside … it was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. I just have to go back to the countryside. ”

As they tried to escape empty-handed on their moped, the couple crashed and fell to the floor, causing applause from onlookers, the witness said.

Scotland Yard said no one was arrested.

Anyone with information on what happened was asked to call the 101 Met Police, citing reference number 5535 / 23APR.