Moped gangs 'armed with machetes' terrorise residents near Prince George's new school in Battersea

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Shocking footage has emerged of moped gangs terrorising residents just yards from Prince George's future primary school.

In the CCTV footage, a gang member can be seen kicking a passing cyclist before breaking into a parked car in Battersea High Street, with locals accusing police of failing to tackle the terrifying incidents for several months.

Residents said they had seen men on bikes waving the machetes as they sped through pedestrianised areas near Thomas's School, where Prince George will attend from September.

Bikers can be seen threatening passers-by and weaving in and out of tables at nearby restaurants near the £6,000-per-term school in the footage.

A moped driver said to be harassing residents in Battersea
PA

The CCTV images, obtained by Londonlovesbusiness.com, come amid a surge in in the number of moped-enabled crimes on London's streets, with campaigners calling on the Met Police to introduce new powers to tackle to problem.

The Met has said it is looking into the incidents as a “borough priority”.

One resident, who did not want to be identified, said: “There are break-ins every night, residents are being terrorised every other day either by riding on pavements or at people.

"When police are called their response is 'there's nothing we can do'."

A moped drive breaks into a car having kicked a passing cyclist
PA

Witnesses said gang members on pushbikes later returned to the scene of one incident "to gloat", pointing their fingers in a shooting gesture at members of the public who were waiting for police.

A staff member at a local business said they had previously heard "what sounded like gunshots" in the street near the school, while another claimed they had seen people in balaclavas "shooting at a cash register or strong box".

Locals also reported regularly seeing motorcyclists mounting the kerb at Battersea Square and "weaving in and out of the tables and chairs" of bars and restaurants.

One local business owner claimed passengers on the bikes have wielded machetes in an apparent attempt to intimidate members of the public on multiple occasions.

The area is popular among locals for its bars and cafes and is nicknamed "nappy valley" for its number of local schools and young families.

The Met said no incidents involving weapons had been reported to police.

The drivers weave through an alleyway in Battersea
PA

Inspector Guy Osborne, of the Battersea Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said that officers in Wandsworth are "very aware" of moped-enabled crime, and called the issue "a borough priority".

He said: "Crime Prevention advice is being given to the public through social media and by holding open days with the council specifically aimed at moped crime.

"Police are working with moped manufacturers so they are being made more difficult to steal."

Mr Osborne said incidents involving weapons had not been reported to the police.

The reports of heightened moped crime in Battersea come during a spate of violent knife crime in London, with 11 people stabbed to death in just two weeks.

A spokesman for Wandsworth council stressed the local authority's investment in CCTV as a deterrent to crime, adding that the council "is working closely with the Met to tackle the growing problem of moped-related crime, which is a London-wide issue".

Staff and officials at Thomas's declined to comment.

New figures have shown there were 11,389 moped-enabled crimes in London last year, a seven-fold increase on 2015.

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