An ex-Met Police detective has shared some potentially invaluable advice on how Londoners can avoid being victims of moped gang attacks.

David Videcette, a former counter-terror officer at Scotland Yard, tweeted about the recent attack on comedian Michael McIntyre.

The father-of-two was robbed by two men on a moped while he was parked outside his kids' school in Hampstead.

The men smashed the window with a hammer on Monday and stole McIntyre’s £15,000 watch at knifepoint.

Mr Videcette, who describes himself as a crime fighter turned crime writer, detailed in a Twitter thread what you should do in such an attack, and encouraged passers-by not to be passive.

He said: “There are simply not enough police to fight this epidemic. We’ve all got to help each other. If you see this happening, help.”

Even if you just take a photo of the attackers, do - videos help the police massively and any detail is useful.

He continued: “Michael had an expensive watch, much has been said about it, but we are all targets. Our phones are worth several hundred pounds each. They want them.”

Mr Videcette suggests that routine, especially during school times, can make you a target, so try not to park in the same place every day.

McIntyre is likely to have been followed for a while, so try taking different routes to and from work or school.

Mr Videcette finished by saying: “Don’t sit there & let them break it (your car window), drive off or move, don’t be a passive target.”

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