A brazen thief made off with a bicycle, riding away as a man gave chase on foot, hoping to catch him.
Wearing a high-visibility jacket, the culprit was first seen tampering with the lock of a blue mountain bike in a car park.
A suspicious woman confronted him, asking if the bike was actually his.
READ MORE: Thrillseekers dangled for two hours after fairground ride breakdown
In a bold response, the man claimed she’d have to simply take his “word” for it.
He then took the bike and sped off, with a man attempting to pursue him down the road.
The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Friday, October 11, on Wanstead Park Road in Wanstead, East London.
When questioned about what he was doing, the thief responded, “I understand that,” before adding, “I was waiting for someone to come down.”
The woman, clearly skeptical, recorded the interaction on her mobile phone in a 12-second video clip.
She asked him, “So how do we know that that’s your bike?”
The thief answered, “Well, you are going to have to take my word for it.”
Shortly after, CCTV footage from a nearby house captured the man pedaling away on the stolen bike.
In a brief five-second clip, the same man is seen running after the thief in an effort to catch him.
Local residents expressed their frustration and anger over the audacious crime, according to reports from VKNews24.
Matt Smith, one local, vented: “Instead of filming it, grab his bag and smack him over the head with it. Then throw it across the road.”
Another resident, a taxi driver, echoed this sentiment, saying: “Why film it? Kick him in the b*llocks.”
The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for a comment on the matter.
READ MORE: Mum-of-three rescued by airlift after breaking leg on snowdon
SOURCE: Bold-as-brass thief pinches bike before riding off as man gives chase on foot to catch him
