'Tuxedo man' chases phone theft suspect in High Holborn Published duration 4 May 2018

media caption A suspected phone thief was chased down the street by a man in a tuxedo in central London.

A suspected phone thief was chased down the street by a man in a "tuxedo" in central London.

Lewychino Martey-Thomas, who works in a suit shop in High Holborn, gave chase after a mobile phone was snatched from a woman's hand by someone on a bicycle.

Mr Martey-Thomas called on Londoners to "come together, take back our city".

"The power is within all of us to make a difference, but it starts with one," he added.

The 35-year-old was on his lunch break when he heard a woman shouting out: "My phone! He's got my phone!"

image copyright @ElMengem image caption Lewychino Martey-Thomas, who works in a suit shop, chased the suspect wearing a suit and bow tie

He walked down the road and saw that someone was tackling a cyclist off his bike onto the ground and a third person trying to kick him.

Mr Martey-Thomas, who was wearing a double-breasted blazer, intervened and placed the cyclist under citizen's arrest.

"I told him: 'You messed up'," Mr Martey-Thomas said.

image copyright @ElMengem image caption A video of Lewychino Martey-Thomas's chase attracted widespread attention on social media

Mr Martey-Thomas gave him a cigarette, "because he was about to get arrested, so he's under some immense stress."

The cyclist broke the cigarette, Mr Martey-Thomas said, and as he was turning his head to get him another one, he "was gone down the road".

Mr Martey-Thomas, who competed as a sprinter at school, ran after him for about 200 metres before catching him.

"I told him if you run from me, I will catch you, but he didn't believe me," Mr Martey-Thomas said.

image caption Lewychino Martey-Thomas has been hailed a hero

Harry Stevens, 19, of Channel Islands Estate, London, has been charged with two counts of robbery . Mr Stevens was due to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court today.

Mr Martey-Thomas said the video of his chase has prompted thousands of people to follow him on social media.

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