'DON'T TAKE MY BABY!'
Mum’s screams as moped gang targeted her and her three-year-old girl in Lawless London
A MUM screamed "don't take my baby" as a masked moped gang targeted her and her three-year-old girl in Lawless London.
Chilling footage of two men trying to rob the terrified mum was shared yesterday by Amanda Holden, and shows the thugs threatening the woman before being chased off by heroes with scaffolding poles.
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A neighbour who lives near to where the menacing pair tried to rob the young mum in Richmond said she heard cries of: "My baby, don't take my baby."
But by the time she had made her way down to the bus stop on June 21, the gang members had made their escape.
She believes it was a targeted attempted robbery on the mum and her child as the gang made off down a side road which is blocked off to cars.
The footage comes as London is hit by an explosion in moped gang crime with 60 incidents recorded each day.
Do you know the woman or the men who chased them off? Get in touch at [email protected] or 02077824368
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The woman, who did not want to be named, told Sun Online: “We were at home and heard a woman shouting ‘my baby, don’t take my baby’.
“At first I thought it was just road rage but the road was soon cordoned off and full of police.
“It was obvious that it was something more serious and we’ve now seen the CCTV footage which is shocking.
“The gang must be local because they ended up riding down a road which is blocked off to cars at the end.”
In the clip, filmed last week, the two men wearing motorcycle helmets appear to be looking for targets before the mum and girl walk by.
When the menacing pair approach and demand her jewellery, the clearly terrified victim drags the youngster into the busy road and only just avoid a more tragic outcome.
The attackers then flee empty-handed before a lorry stops in the street and men leap from it to give chase to the masked would-be robbers.
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David Parker-Woolway, 42, today told The Sun Online how he was working just 100 yards from the robbery when he heard screams.
The garden designer said: " I heard a lot of shouting and a woman screaming and there was clearly a commotion going on down the road.
"I sprinted down there but the moped gang had gone down Sandpits Road and had already made their escape."
He said he tried to comfort the woman, saying she was in tears after the attempted robbery.
David, who lives near Shrivenham, Oxon, said: "I gave her a bottle of water and said she could sit in my friend’s house, who lives down the road, if she wanted to relax.
"She looked absolutely petrified. It’s shocking what happened to her."
The terrifying attempted robbery comes after moped muggers screamed "give us the gold" as they robbed a family of jewellery at knifepoint.
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On this chilling attempted robbery just last week, Amanda, 47, wrote on Twitter: "So this I know is happening everywhere but this was Sandpits Road Tw10 -21st June 12:35 broad daylight. Mother and child attacked.
"And some #Heroes in a lorry chased them off.
"Call 101 or 999 if u know these scumbags."
The footage sparked concern from many worried parents on social media that the masked men were targeting young children to kidnap for ransom.
Lee Lester, 56, who works in the Fox & Duck pub 100 yards from where the incident happened on Thursday, said people are worried after the seeing on social media the gang tried to snatch a child from the terrified mum’s hands.
Lee told Sun Online: “People in the pub have been saying the gang tried to snatch the woman’s child - which is obviously worrying.”
But police confirmed this was an attempted robbery, and the thugs were after the woman's jewellery.
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The Russell School, near to Sandpits Road, sent out an email responding to rumours the men tried to take a baby from a mum, reiterating: "It was in fact a robbery where the four suspects on mopeds made threats towards the mother and her small child in an attempt to steal her valuables."
But parents were told to remain vigilant when in secluded areas, and to report any suspicious moped activity.
Amanda's appeal for help was echoed by Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan, who tweeted: "DISGUSTING. Let's catch these snivelling cowards now - call the police if you know who they are."
The Sun Online has approached Amanda's representatives for further comment.
The footage starts with four men pulling into a side road on two bikes - all are wearing helmets and dark clothing.
They appear to be waiting for a target before two ride off, leaving the pair who then attempt to snatch jewellery from the terrified victim.
The duo march up to the young mum and appear to grab at her wrist, before she hauls herself and the child into the road in front of a car and lorry.
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After she hurries across the road in fright have-a-go heroes scramble from the HGV and several stopped cars and run after the menacing pair.
A Met Police spokeswoman said: "Police are investigating an attempted robbery in Richmond.
"Police were called at 12:35hrs on Thursday, 21 June to Sandpits Road in Petersham after a woman was approached by four men on a black moped and motorbike who demanded her jewellery.
"They threatened her and a young child who was with her. No injuries were reported.
"No weapon was seen, although it was intimated. Members of the public went to the woman's assistance and the suspects fled empty-handed.
"The suspects were all wearing black clothing
"Any witnesses or anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 or contact via Twitter @MetCC quoting reference 3542/21Jun.
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"To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org
"There have been no arrests at this time and enquiries continue."
Ham and Petersham Police also tweeted: "Police are aware of this incident its an attempted robbery that happened on Petersham Road and is currently being investigated. Thank you."
Earlier this month we told how a reformed gangster said "war is coming" as he gave a chilling insight into how he nabbed phones and jewellery from terrified pedestrians during a reign of terror on the streets of the capital.
The shocking number of 60 daily attacks is compared to just 1,053 in 2014 - a staggering 1,000 per cent increase in the past three years.
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