SCOTLAND rugby star John Hardie told today how he stopped a suspected shoplifter who was trying to escape as fast as Olympic speed king Usain Bolt.

The Edinburgh back-row forward leapt into action to huckle the yob as he dashed through the Ocean Terminal mall in the Leith Waterfront area.

2 World Cup ace Hardie grabbed the thief and held on to him

World Cup ace Hardie, 28, grabbed the thief and held on to him until security guards arrived on the scene.

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The New Zealand-born player later tweeted: “Good deed done today stopping a shoplifter sprinting through the mall like Usian Boult. Grabbed him by the collar.”

collar grab — John Hardie (@hardhorse44) January 25, 2017

A police spokesman said: “I can confirm that an incident took place at around 1530 hours today at Ocean Terminal shopping centre where a male was apprehended for shoplifting."

2 Hardie said he stopped shoplifter sprinting through the mall like Usain Bolt

Hardie, who qualifies to play for Scotland through his grandmother from Fife, had gone to the mall after taking part in the national squad’s training camp ahead of the start of the Six Nations Championship.

The Scots launch their campaign against Ireland at Murrayfield a week on Saturday.

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