Moped thugs armed with acid and swords bragged that swiping mobile phones from commuters in the capital is so easy it is "like stealing candy from a baby".

In a shocking new BBC documentary, gang members from north London revealed snatching £700 iPhones from "stupid" people waiting at bus stops was "easy pickings".

A thug identified as "Mr X" told journalist Livvy Haydock: "We are looking for people that are looking down, got their phones out with their headphones in, in particular.

"As soon as it is green, they are unaware to any vehicles coming and for us that is the perfect opportunity because as they're crossing we time it and then we'll grab whatever we can grab and off we go."

He added: "Anything that's not securely wrapped around someone's shoulder or someone's back, it's very easy for us to snatch and take it."

The 21-year-old from Islington explained: "It's like stealing candy from a baby. In 15 to 20 seconds I could get like two or three phones."

Another gang member called Topkat said he had used acid "a couple of times".

Describing the horrific effect on his victim he said: "Sprayed it in his face just bleeding like, he's burning. Man's shouting and screaming.

"If I had my knife on me one of us would have ended up dead, you get me?

"Actually don't make me feel too good obviously, but man's not doing it to intentionally hurt them innit.

"I'm just doing it so they get out the way innit so they don't resist so I can just get my things."

He also said he uses "bats, knives, swords" during robberies on pedestrians or in jewellery shops with high-value items ripe for stealing.

Mr X, who has stolen hundreds of phones over the past seven years, added that he thought people who walk round with their valuables on show are "asking for it".

He said: "I just saw a woman just now crossing the road with her phone, looking down. That's not normal. You're crossing the road, you should have all eyes on the road.

"There's no rules or regulations to this game. If I have to I'll go down a no entry road. Any conditions, it doesn't matter; rain, shine, green, red, no entry, no right turn, it's ours for the taking.

"Even if I have to drive on the pavement I'll go on the pavement."

The shocking revelations from Inside Britain's Moped Crime Gangs comes after data showed in 2017 there were more than 23,000 crimes committed on motorbikes.

That works out at an average of 64 per day and is a 163 per cent rise on the previous year.

The programme is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.