THIS is the moment a brazen squatter attempted to steal a huge bag of cannabis seized from a drugs “factory” just yards from Buckingham Palace.

The would-be thief walked out of the building on one of Britain’s most expensive streets with the bag, right in front of police officers who had been carrying out a raid on the £15 million property.

Around 30 bags of drugs, believed to be cannabis, were seized from the empty five story property in Grosvenor Gardens, Belgravia, following the raid on Friday morning.

Moments after police had filled a lorry full of growing equipment, a squatter was seen attempting to steal a sackful before two police officers gave chase.

He dropped the bag and ran off.

A video, posted online, shows the bizarre encounter which occurred in Grosvenor Gardens.

In it, a squatter claims the “factory” was discovered by activists from the Autonomous Nation of Anarchist Libertarians, who are living in a seven-storey property opposite.

The cameraman says: “ANAL have located a £500,000 cannabis grow...They (police) are removing the weed and equipment right now.”

As they approach the building, one of the squatters tries to engage two police officers guarding the van of the beneficial properties of hemp, before the group moves to the front door saying “shall we go and see what’s inside?”

As soon as they get to the entrance, the squatter emerges with the bag, as the cameraman says: “Oh, ho, what do we have here? Just run. run, run.

“Oh, it’s all going down, oh sh*t!”

As he flees, a police officer follows and picks up the dropped bag before pulling out his truncheon and pepper spray fearing he might be attacked.

Police confirmed that a raid was carried out on an address in Grosvenor Gardens at around 7.45am.

Scotland Yard said more than 600 cannabis plants were found at the address following the raid.

A crime scene was erected overnight and into Saturday as officers recovered the evidence.

A spokesman for the force said at around 3.30pm on Saturday, a man “attempted to steal an evidence bag containing suspected drugs from the property”.

He said an officer was attacked in the melee.

“An officer posted at the scene chased the suspect who subsequently dropped the bag and made off.

“The officer recovered the evidence bag but was surrounded by a group of people and was assaulted sustaining a facial injury. “Fortunately the officer did not require hospital treatment.”

The spokesman said three people were arrested as they tried to flee the premises on Friday and were subsequently charged for cultivating cannabis.

He added: “There has been no arrest regarding the theft of evidence or the assault on police.”

Scotland Yard also confirmed armed police rushed to the scene after an “urgent call for assistance after the police constable was surrounded”, but said: “They attended as they were nearby, not because there was a report of firearms at the incident.”