A man has told how he intervened to stop a gang of four moped riders stealing a motorcycle in Sutton town centre.

Jason Lemin, 34, who has Asperger's Syndrome, said he saw the gang, dressed in black motorcycle gear and helmets, using a cordless grinder to cut through the lock of the motorcycle on Sutton Court Road.

He said: “I was shocked. I couldn’t believe I was watching it for real. It was in broad daylight with buses going by.”

Mr Lemin said the motorcycle was parked near his own. He ran over and shouted at the men before being joined by a roadside sweeper.

He said: “They shouted at me to f*** off. One guy had a cordless grinder and was waving it about.

“These days you hear of acid being thrown in people's faces. But I’m not going to ignore it and let them take the bike. I was really scared and didn’t want them to get away with it. It could have been my bike.

“It was a bit of a stand-off between those four and us. If I was closer I could have been seriously injured."

After a brief stand-off the men gave up on the theft and fled empty-handed on their mopeds, according to Mr Lemin, who said the incident has made him feel "on edge".

He added: “You hear stories of people being dragged off motorcycles while they are stopped.

“I’m stubborn and I’m not the type to hide the bike and not use it. But I am quite nervous and suffer from anxiety anyway. This doesn’t help.

“When I’m stressed jumping on a bike is therapy for me. But I’m now on edge all the time. If I park my bike I don’t know if it will be there when I get back.”

“Because I suffer from Asperger’s I can’t work. It took me four years to save for my motorbike so it’s my pride and joy. If it ever got stolen I could never replace it."

The incident happened on September 18. The gang were described as males, probably in their 20s, and wearing black helmets, with black balaclavas underneath and black motorcycle gear, said Mr Lemin.