Londoners could be forgiven for thinking a new James Bond film was being shot on the Thames as jetskis sped through the capital.

But it was not a remake of Pierce Brosnan's famous 1999 scene in The World Is Not Enough - it was a real police chase.

Scotland Yard's marine policing unit was spotted chasing four jetskis as they raced past the Greenwich Peninsula towards central London on Friday evening.

Image: The chase went past the famous O2 Arena. Pic: Novida Barnes

Video showed the jetskis making their way west at high speeds past the O2 Arena - where Brosnan's 007 finished one of the most epic Bond boat chases.

Another video showed the jetskis speeding around to the west of Canary Wharf, having managed to escape police boats all the way around the Isle of Dogs.


Police said they were "able to make them change their course".

"The decision was taken to no longer pursue the jet skis for safety reasons," they added.

The use of boats on the Thames is strictly monitored for safety reasons and wildlife protection.

Image: Police chased the jetskis past Canary Wharf. Pic: Kristina Kuznetsova

Jetskis and other "personal watercraft" are not allowed upstream of the Thames Barrier, which lies to the east of where the jetskis were being pursued.

On the rest of the Thames, they are not allowed to exceed eight knots (9.2mph) if they are within 200m of a jetty, beach or residential property.

A licence is not needed to ride a jetski in the UK.