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Shocking footage issued by Metropolitan Police shows the moment members of a moped gang are caught in the act in the midst of their callous crime spree, during which they stole more than 100 phones from members of the public in just five days.

In one of the clips, a female victim can be seen walking down Theobalds Road in central London with her phone to her ear, chatting.

A few seconds later, a moped mounts the pavement and speeds up behind her as the passenger and driver both reach out and snatch the mobile out of her hands before racing off.

Another clip shows the moped targeting an individual in Park Lane.

The victim is walking on the side of the pavement furthest from the road and once again, the moped mounts the pavement and the passenger reaches out and grabs the mobile from the hands of the victim before the moped speeds off.

The videos have been released after a teenage gang was jailed for more than 13 years.

Two Islington teenagers, aged 15 and 16, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and Claude Parkinson, 18, admitted conspiracy to rob between April 18 and May 5.

They targeted people on the streets of Westminster , Kensington and Chelsea , Islington and Camden over the course of three weeks.

(Image: Metropolitan Police)

The gang would mask themselves with helmets and motorcycle clothing and drive, often at speed, towards their victims before making off with their phones - and on a number of occasions, they resorted to violence, wielding a hammer and a tyre lever.

"These young men preyed on a huge number of members of the public on the streets of London over a series of days, using violence or threats on some occasions" said the CPS reviewing lawyer, Andrew Caird.

"Their victims were in many cases extremely traumatised by the robberies, and on at least one occasion a victim was very nearly hit by the mopeds."

Parkinson drove the moped on all five days, while the other teens admitted to being involved in 42 offences each over the course of two days.

Parkinson, of Thornhill Square, was jailed for five years and three months' at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday (October 11) and the two other teenagers were each sentenced to four years and two months.

The teenagers were part of a wider crime wave which at one point in Westminster alone, consisted of more than 100 such offences a week, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

A 40-year-old, Samsul Chowdhury of Usk Street, admitted to having a part in the conspiracy to rob and admitted to a charge of handling stolen goods.

On Wednesday (October 11), he was jailed for four years and 10 months.

He was known as "Boss" and would advertise he was willing to pay money for mobiles, ad when police raided his home, 35 phones were found alongside other items associated with two residential burglaries.

"One witness described them whooping with joy as they made a snatch" said Mr Caird after the hearing.

He added: "However photos of the gang taken on May 4 by a photographer with a long lens captured such detail of Parkinson’s distinctive eyes, fingers and jacket, that he was identified.

"This along with mobile phone message data, clothing comparisons, and eyewitness accounts led to the guilty pleas and today’s prison sentences."

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