Machete-wielding teenagers terrorise London housing estate on a moped

This is the frightening moment a pair of machete-wielding teenage gang members on a moped terrorised a London housing state.

The two thugs were caught on camera in Harold Hill, Romford, east London, on Monday afternoon, brandishing a huge knife while nearby schoolchildren looked on in horror.

The pair rode around on a moped without a licence plate, meaning it may have been stolen.

At one point, the passenger on the moped jumped off the bike and ran towards locals with the machete.

The pair on the moped reportedly clashed with another gang outside a row of shops.

One man was standing at a bus stop crowded with schoolchildren at around 4pm when the two riders on the moped approached.

The pedestrian was seen pulling a large kitchen knife from his pocket as he ran towards the moped riders, a witness said.

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The youths, believed to be from opposing gangs, also threw objects at each other which struck and damaged nearby cars.

An eyewitness, who didn’t want to be named, said: ‘I looked out my window and I saw a young man at a bus stop – he saw these two guys on a moped with a machete and he ran towards them without hesitation whatsoever and pulled out a kitchen knife from his pocket.

‘He was at the bus stop with loads of schoolchildren.

‘It was obvious there was a conflict between them, it went on for about five to ten minutes and they didn’t seem to be bothered by the fact that it was broad daylight.

‘The guys on the moped were driving in circles around him on the moped, the people standing around looked really shocked.

‘It was on the pavement outside a row of shops, they were driving around the guy on the pavement and the grass.

‘The moped looks stolen, you can tell because the registration plates are gone.

‘It’s quite scary.’

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: ‘Police were called by members of the public at 4.10pm today, Monday, 17 July to reports of suspects possibly in possession of a knife and or machete at Hilldene Avenue, Harold Hill.

‘On attending the location there was no trace of either suspects or any victims, however two vehicles had been damaged.

‘The suspects were reported to have made off on mopeds. Enquiries are ongoing.’