Hollywood heartthrob Tom Hardy turned the streets of London into a real-life action movie when he chased and captured a moped thief.

The 39-year-old actor was seen chasing after a thief who stole and crashed a moped in Richmond, south west London, on Sunday.

Dumbfounded witnesses said Hardy appeared to 'switch into superhero mode in an action movie' as he sprinted through gardens and a building site before grabbing the thief by the scruff of the neck and declaring, 'I caught the c***'.

Tom Hardy (pictured leaving the gym today) was seen chasing after a thief who stole and crashed a moped in Richmond, south west London

Hardy started chasing the thief from the junction of Church Road and Sheen Road, before leaping over walls and sprinting through gardens and a building site

No stranger to chasing after criminals, performing stunts and carrying out fight scenes in his movie roles, the actor stunned passersby as he leapt over a wall and sprinted through the streets of Richmond.

Hardy - who has starred in Taboo, The Revenant, Mad Max and Legend - threw the alleged thief into a bus stop before patting him down for weapons and checking his ID.

A 26-year-old English secondary school teacher who lives nearby told MailOnline: 'The bike was in pieces and I saw a guy with a helmet race from the crashed bike.

'It was a huge crash and I heard it from inside the house.

'They cordoned off the whole road... It was shocking. The boy looked seriously injured.'

Arun Pullen, 22, told The Sun: 'It was mental – like he'd switched to superhero mode in an action movie.

'Tom Hardy's clearly not a man you'd mess with. I think he even checked the kid's ID before cops took over.'

Witnesses claim the actor said: 'This little s*** nicked something and now he's got himself a ­broken leg.'

The 39-year-old actor appeared to 'switch into superhero mode in an action movie' as he sprinted through gardens and a building site before grabbing the thief by the scruff of the neck

Arun Pullen, 22, said: 'It was mental – like he'd switched to superhero mode in an action movie'

Hardy - who has starred in Taboo, The Revenant, Mad Max and Legend - threw the alleged thief into a bus stop before patting him down for weapons and checking his ID

The Met Police said two teenagers who were arrested on suspicion of theft-related motor vehicle offences in Richmond have been released under investigation.

Police said a motorcycle collided with a car in Sheen Road, Richmond.

A spokesman added: 'Officers were not pursuing the motorcycle, but happened to be present at the location at the time of the collision.

'Two 16-year-old boys immediately made off from the scene.

'The pillion passenger was detained by police a short distance away and was arrested on suspicion of taking a vehicle without consent and allowing to be carried.

'The rider of the motorcycle was detained by members of the public in Church Road and then arrested by officers on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and being disqualified from driving.

'Both teenagers sustained injuries as a result of the collision and the London Ambulance Service was called.

'They were initially taken to a south London hospital for treatment and then taken into custody at a west London police station.'