PICTURED: The incredible moment that a smartly-dressed City worker takes on smash-and-grab jewellery shop raider brandishing a MACHETE

• Armed gang on mopeds raided central London watch and diamond shop before attempting getaway on mopeds

• Shortly after the raid, a brave member of the public attempting to wrestle one robber to the floor

• The have-a-go hero was threatened with a two-foot machete by a masked robber, who managed to run off

• At least two of the robbers are still at large. Police say a suspect was arrested in a nearby car park

Armed robbers flee into the street after a smash-and-grab raid on an exclusive jewellery store.

But as they run off, a have-a-go hero leaps on one of the gang and grapples with him. The smartly-dressed City worker lets go only when the helmeted robber pulls out a 16in machete.

The raider escapes, only for a policeman in plain clothes to chase him down. Last night two accomplices remained on the run.

An armed robber whose gang had raided a watch and diamond shop in central London was wrestled by a man as he tried to get away

The dramatic scenes in London’s Liverpool Street were filmed by a bystander on his mobile phone.

The gang, all wearing dark clothing, masks and crash helmets, smashed their way into Carr Watches and Diamonds on Thursday lunchtime. They used a concrete slab to shatter the toughened glass door before threatening company owner Dominic Carr, 47, with the machete.

They smashed glass display cases with sledgehammers and stole watches worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

As the three men, all thought to be in their late teens or early 20s, climbed on two mopeds, a police officer tried to block them in an unmarked car.

The man then jumps on the raider before retreating when he is threatened with a two-foot long machete – the robber then runs away

Incredible moment man jumps on raider armed with a MACHETE

He was threatened with the machete and backed off. In the confusion, two of the robbers escaped, abandoning the third – who was leapt on by the City worker.

After pulling out the machete and breaking free, the raider ran off only to be cornered by the police officer in a car park less than 300 yards away and arrested. One witness said: ‘I could not believe what I was seeing in the middle of Liverpool Street.

 It was surreal, like something out of a Hollywood movie. We were all looking on in total shock and horror, it did not last long but everything was total chaos.

The gang – dressed in black clothing and motorbike helmets – raided Carr Watches and Diamonds in central London yesterday

Pictures show the brave man running up behind the raider and attempting to tackle him to the floor

‘The man who tried to stop them was a real have-a-go hero. He could have been killed. He looked tough but when you are against a machete you have no chance. At least he slowed them down though.’

Shop owner Mr Carr was unharmed but extremely shaken following the raid. His staff said the gang struck in ‘a matter of seconds’.

Ish Ahmet, 30, said: ‘It was all a shock, it was over so quickly. They came in the shop and then it was a bit of a blur. We are not sure what they got away with, some watches we think, maybe replica Rolexes.’

The have-a-go hero gets on the man’s back, but is then threatened by the robber, who then runs off

The man and a builder who came to his aid had to back off as the raider brandished a machete which he pulled from his trousers

Smash-and-grab gangs, often using stolen mopeds to get away, have struck at several luxury jewellery, clothing and handbag stores in affluent London streets in recent years.

Detectives suspect that many of those responsible are young men recruited by older organised criminals, who pay them a fraction of the value of their haul.

Alex Parle, 22, of Bermondsey, South East London, appeared before magistrates yesterday charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and threatening Mr Carr with a machete. He was remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey next month.

Do you know the have-a-go hero? Phone 0203 615 0988 or email neil.chandler@mailonline.co.uk

Police arrested one man after the raid and he has since been charged – two others got away on mopeds and are still at large

 How the drama unfolded: One of the gang runs from the store, still holding a sledgehammer he used in the raid

A car drove into the path of one of the mopeds forcing the rider to swerve so the robber couldn’t get on

A number of members of the public attempted to stop the armed gang – who used hammers to raid the shop

By CHRIS GREENWOOD