The Evening Standard cleared its front page today to carry dramatic images of hammer-wielding moped gang speeding through the West End of London.
Photographer with agency Mega Ian Lawrence, 43, who captured the image said: “I saw two scooters speeding towards me and weaving all over the road. One of the guys on the back was wielding a hammer.
“They all had their faces covered up, even though they had helmets on, and I knew something was going down. I put the long lens on one of my cameras and fired off pictures as they rode around the road before disappearing. I even ran after them in a bid to get more pictures.”
He added: “I am deaf, which makes my job very hard compared to other photographers, and I have to push myself to the limit all the time. Four years ago I nearly lost my life and had major open heart surgery which took me 16 months before I could return back to work and pick up a camera again.”
The thieves were photographed at about 2pm on Thursday as they targeted pedestrians in Langham Street, yards from the entrance to the BBC Radio 1 studio.
Scotland Yard said officers were investigating one report of a theft of an iPhone from a woman in her forties on Great Portland Street just before 2pm.
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