A dozen brave people have turned the tables on alleged jewellery store thieves in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg.

The bandits had allegedly robbed the shop and were trying to escape, but two were stopped in their tracks.

Without caring that they're being watched, three masked thieves used a hammer to smash their way into the store.

View photos The offenders knew exactly what they wanted. Photo: 7 News More



They can be seen on CCTV footage grabbing expensive jewellery and terrorising the owner as he locked up his family business.

One woman told 7 News: “We heard a massive smash like a hammer was hitting, we thought it was a gun, we didn't know what it was”.

It lasted just a minute but outside, a call to arms was underway on the street, with locals rushing to help.

They can be seen in the vision, first armed with a chair and table, and later using their fists.

View photos Brave bystanders began smashing in the window. Photo: 7 News More

"We grabbed the door so they don't get out…while someone was calling the police. So he had a hammer and the guns,” another witness said.

“We all tried to grab the guys that ran away. One tried to run away but we got two of them... It's our duty I think to do it,” Mouhssen Hamze said.

Cornered and outnumbered, one crook was a coward.

"Don't you f***ing move,” one of the citizen heroes told him, as the offender begged him,"Don't f***ing hit me bro".

"I'm not f**king hitting you, just don't move," he was told.

View photos CCTV footage showed the locals tackling one of the crooks. Photo: 7 News More

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