Moment balaclava-clad suspects wrestled to ground by police during break-in at west London optician
This is the moment elite Flying Squad officers ambush two thieves plundering designer sunglasses in a raid on a west London opticians.
Footage shows two would-be thieves smashing through the glass door of the Eye Studio Opticians in Chiswick.
They are shoving the sunglasses into bags when officers who specialise in targeting robbers surround them and order them onto the ground with one brandishing a taser.
Their arrests were caught on a Ring doorbell camera at the back of the shop.
Scotland Yard confirmed that the two men were in custody and awaiting trial following the raid at the end of April.
Police did not have to discharge the tasers with the men complying with orders to lay on the floor as they were handcuffed.
The shop’s co-owner Andrew Harman told the Standard: “We are euphoric that the police managed to make the arrests. I’ve been here 30 years and we have had problems before with kids stealing sunglasses and thins like that.
“The fact that the police were here so quickly was fantastic. We will have lost some money but no one was injured an we are pleased that people were not allowed to get away with this.”
A Met police spokesperson said: “On Tuesday 30th April at 04:22 hours, police were called to Chiswick High Road, W4, to reports of people smashing up a shop at the location.
“On police arrival, it was believed that a burglary had occurred and two males were detained inside the location.
“Two males were arrested at the location for the offence of burglary.
“Both males were charged and were remanded in custody awaiting trial.'
Nick Singfield, co-owner of the Eye Studio, told The Chiswick Calendar he and his colleagues were considering beefing up their security to avoid future break-ins.
He said: “I hate the idea of shutters, because Chiswick [High Road] is such a lovely nice street. But it might have to come to that.”
