‘Hero’ security guard slashed with angle grinder while trying to stop bike thief

A cafe worker has described how a ‘hero’ security guard was slashed with an angle grinder as he fought off a bicycle thief in east London.

The shocking incident happened just before 3pm on Wednesday in Holywell Lane in Shoreditch, east London.

Jaume Munte, 27, originally from Barcelona, was alerted to a thief trying to steal his bicycle and raced out of the cafe where he was working.

He told Metro: ‘My colleague said someone was trying to steal my bike. I ran out and there was a guy with an angle grinder. He had cut off the lock.

A local security guard had seen the thief on his CCTV and was already out there. He was grabbing the thief who cut him with the angle grinder.

‘The guard grabbed my bike lock and swung it at the thief. I piled in and the guy started up the angle grinder again and threatened me with the blade.

‘I heard it whirring and it was frightening but I was all in by then.

‘He then ran off, my reaction was instinctive I didn’t want to let him get away even though the security guard had stopped him taking the bike.

‘The security guard is an absolute hero he didn’t think of his own safety, what a guy.

‘I’m going to buy him a mug with a chocolate egg in it. I’m going to get ‘best security in the world’ written on it.’

Jaume said the security guard suffered a deep cut to the hand from the angle grinder.

He told Metro: ‘I’ve spoken to him he’s ok but there was a lot of blood. He has a family he put himself on the line he is a top man. It was only a bike but we cannot let criminals ruin London.’

People also took to social media to praise the security guard.

One wrote: ‘Well done to that man.’

Another said: ‘Respect to the security guard.’

The owner of a nearby shop told Metro: ‘It was the middle of the day and a bloke is wielding an angle grinder as a weapon on a busy street it’s totally shocking.

A police statement said: ‘Police were called at 15:00hrs on Monday, 8 January to reports of a man injured in Holywell Lane, EC2.

‘Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended and found a man suffering an injury to his hand. He was taken to hospital where his injuries were deemed to be non life-threatening.

”Prior to the attack, the victim confronted a man who he believed was trying to steal a bicycle using an angle grinder.

‘The suspect attacked the victim with the angle grinder.

‘The owner of the bike then approached and the suspect fled the scene.

‘No arrests have been made.’

‘Enquiries continue.’

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