MOPED MACHETE RAID
12in knife used in £10,000 Rolex snatch on millionaires’ row
MOPED thugs brandishing a 12inch knife stole a £10,000 Rolex after cornering their victim on an upmarket street.
In broad daylight, the robbers snatched the watch from the man, who is in his 60s, before fleeing.
Police are running high-quality images through facial recognition software to try to identify the suspects.
The mugging happened at 3pm in Hampstead, north London – an area that is home to many bankers, lawyers and celebrities, including Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke.
The unnamed victim was chased from his parked car after being confronted by the man wielding a machete-like knife. He fled into a garden before his Rolex was ripped from his wrist, injuring his hand. The robber escaped with his accomplice on a Yamaha TMAX 125.
A photographer who witnessed the incident on April 10 told the Sun on Sunday: ‘It was the knife that freaked me out. It was at least 12 inches and the guy looked like he was happy to use it.’
Criminals often use stolen mopeds for such crimes. More than 9,000 were stolen in London alone in the past year.