Furious passers-by seize massive knife from 13-year-old ‘after they catch him trying to rob phones’

Furious passers-by seize massive knife from 13-year-old boy ‘after they catch him trying to rob phones from children’

  • Clip shows locals demanding him to hand over knife in East London last Saturday
  • Teenager seen taking out hidden knife before a man holds it up to the camera
  • He says: ‘You think that’s funny? Going around and robbing 12-year-old kids?’
  • Police said boy, 13, arrested at scene and has been released under investigation 

This is the moment furious passers-by seize a massive knife from a 13-year-old boy after they allegedly caught him trying to rob phones from children.

Footage filmed last Saturday in Rainham, East London, shows members of the public surrounding the teenager and demanding him to hand over the bladed weapon.

The boy is seen lying on the floor and taking out a knife tucked away in his clothing, before a man wearing a hood holds it up to the camera and says: ‘You think that’s funny? Going around and robbing 12-year-old kids?’

Police confirmed that a 13-year-old boy was arrested at the scene and has since been released under investigation. 

The teenager takes out a knife tucked away in his clothing, before a man wearing a hood holds it up to the camera

The boy, 13, is seen lying on the floor (pictured left) in Rainham, East London, and taking out a knife tucked away in his clothing, before a man wearing a hood holds it up to the camera (right)

In the video, passers-by leave the knife in a car’s windshield and exclaim ‘look at the size of it’, while a woman asks: ‘What the f*** are you doing with that knife?’

At one point, a man can be seen grabbing the boy’s head and holding the knife up to his face, before others urge him to back away.

The clip was posted to social media and captioned: ‘In Rainham… he was robbing kids with that knife.

‘One of the dads caught up with him.’ 

The 13-year-old boy was taken to hospital for treatment where he remains, said the Met Police.

A spokesman for the force told MailOnline: ‘Police are aware of a video circulating on social media showing members of the public detaining a male who was seen to be carrying a knife in the street.

The 13-year-old boy was arrested at the scene

He has since been released under investigation

Police confirmed that a 13-year-old boy, pictured above in stills from the footage, was arrested at the scene and has since been released under investigation

‘The incident occurred in the Rainham area on Saturday, 20 February. 

‘The footage has been reviewed by officers from East Area BCU who are now investigating.

‘One male, aged 13, was arrested at scene on suspicion of possession of points and blades, and robbery. 

‘He was taken to hospital for treatment where he remains. He has been released under investigation while enquiries continue.’