Watch the moment drinkers use bar stools to fight off armed moped raider

Video shows customers fighting back at attacker armed with hammer, who attempts to steal laptop

The moment an armed moped raider enters Bar Esteban in Crouch End, north London and attempts to steal a laptop from the restaurants bar. Customers at the restaurant fought off the would-be robber with bar stools. (YouTube)

An armed thief on a moped who attempted to steal a laptop from a London restaurant received more than he bargained for when customers and the manager fought him off using furniture from the premises.

The driver of the moped, who was armed with a hammer, attempted to steal a laptop from a counter at Bar Esteban in Park Road, Crouch End, North London on Tuesday evening.

Footage captured on CCTV shows restaurant manager Gessica Lastrucci working on her machine at the bar, when a man wearing a crash helmet attempts to grab the machine - unaware that the laptop is secured to the surface by a security cord.

The robber attempts to snatch the laptop computer only to find the machine is connected to a security wire (YouTube)

The man can be seen fleeing after Ms Lastrucci manages to drag the machine back towards her using the security cord.

The attacker drops his hammer on the floor in the commotion. But upon returning for the weapon moments later, he is confronted by diners with bar stools.

One man chased the attacker out of the premises and appears to hit the man with the metal legs of the stool.

Manager Ms Lastrucci told the Ham & High: 'It all happened in seconds. I didn't understand what was going on at first.

"When the robber came back in I thought he was going to hurt me. I'm so thankful to the customers.

"But we're not heroes. We've never had trouble like that," Ms Lastrucci continued.

After returning to pick up his weapon, customers at Bar Esteban chased off the robber with bar stools. (YouTube)

According to the newspaper, witnesses claimed a moped thief also attempted to break into David Astbury's estate agents, situated a short walk down the road from the tapas restaurant.

Estate agent owner Aaron Cox told how he believes the recent spate of attacks in the area are attributable to the same gang of thieves.

Mr Cox also claimed that eight estate agents had been targeted within two weeks in the Crouch End and Finsbury Park areas.

“They managed to smash their way into our place at around 1.30am and they stole computers. And then they tried to do it again on Tuesday.

“These attacks are horrible. We have only been here two weeks and for a business like ours where we do a lot in the community and we are self-funded, it really hurts us.”

Speaking of the incident at Bar Esteban, a MET Police spokesperson said: “Two suspects entered the premises in Park Road and grabbed a laptop from a table.

"The laptop was dropped at the scene, and the suspects made off on mopeds. A hammer was recovered at the location. No arrests have been made.”