Moment Met officer arrests luggage thief after 'borrowing commuter's bike' to chase suspect through London streets
Video footage shows the dramatic moment a police officer 'borrowed' a bike from a member of the public during a foot chase with a suspected luggage thief through the streets of London.
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A suspect was seen trying to steal a suitcase from the boot of a taxi outside St Pancras Railway Station at around 11.40am on Sunday, 19 October.
As the driver notices, he's seen to run towards the suspect, with the thief forced to abandon the luggage and flee on foot.
The suspect is then almost hit by another passing taxi when he makes his escape across the road.
Footage captured on the police officer's body-worn camera shows the suspect being chased, with the officer calling for him to "stay where you are" - an order the suspect ignores.
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The suspect instead leads the officer on a dramatic chase through the back streets of North London, with the officer chancing upon a bright idea after spotting a nearby commuter.
With the suspect seeming to get away, the officer pauses beside a member of the public on a bike, who hands the two-wheeled transport over to the officer.
The quick-thinking cop mounts the bike and manages to catch up to the suspect, who appears to give up the chase.
Halting on a pavement, the suspect is then placed in handcuffs and arrested.
The 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted theft.
After a search of his home address, he was further arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and possession of a class C drug, Pregabalin.
Hicham Labidi, 33, pleaded guilty to theft from the person at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on 3 November 2025.
He will be sentenced on Wednesday, 25 March. Charges of handling stolen goods and possession of a class C drug were discontinued.
Inspector John Wilde said: “We know theft is a real concern for Londoners and those who visit the capital. This case determines the Met’s drive to tackle the issues that matter most to those who live, work in and visit the city.
“Labidi thought he’d made a quick getaway – but our officers were quicker, thanks to a member of the public who offered up his bike.”
It's the latest in a series of incidents involving luggage thieves and pickpockets at the busy London transport hub.
Just months ago, an America’s Got Talent star flagged down police after thieves struck outside St Pancras Station and claimed the force said they are ‘not responsible’ for helping retrieve his possessions.
It comes despite the star providing his precise location.
Country singer Steve Ray Ladson had returned to London on the Eurostar on Sunday night after performing in Paris, with the star waiting for an Uber outside the busy train station when opportunist thieves pounced.
Arriving into London at around 10pm, the country singer describes how “in a matter of 25 or 30 seconds, maybe not even that… my bag had been rolled away” by a stranger who stopped to chat.
However, Mr Ladson’s suitcase contained more than just everyday clothes, with his custom America's Got Talent cowboy boots and his laptop loaded with ‘twenty years worth’ of original music among his lost belongings.
LBC has contacted the Met for comment on the video.