Tom Hardy apprehends thief after chase through London

Tom Hardy proving not all heroes wear capes. Photo / Getty Images

Hollywood heartthrob Tom Hardy turned the streets of London into a real-life action movie when he chased and captured a moped thief.

The 39-year-old actor was reportedly seen chasing after a thief who stole and crashed a moped in Richmond, south west London, on Sunday.

Dumbfounded witnesses said Hardy appeared to "switch into superhero mode in an action movie" as he sprinted through gardens and a building site before grabbing the thief by the scruff of the neck and declaring, "I caught the c***".

No stranger to chasing after criminals, performing stunts and carrying out fight scenes in his movie roles, the actor is said to have stunned passersby as he leapt over a wall and sprinted through the streets of Richmond.

Hardy - who has starred in Taboo, The Revenant, Mad Max and Legend - threw the alleged thief into a bus stop before patting him down for weapons and checking his ID.

TOM HARDY CHASED AFTER A THIEF AND CAUGHT HIM. WHEN WILL YOUR FAV EVER??? SOME MEN ARE TALK HE IS ALL ACTION. #TomHardy

— Lola ⎊ (@lola_hardy) April 24, 2017

Arun Pullen, 22, told The Sun: "It was mental - like he'd switched to superhero mode in an action movie. "Tom Hardy's clearly not a man you'd mess with. I think he even checked the kid's ID before cops took over."

Witnesses claim the actor said: "This little s*** nicked something and now he's got himself a ­broken leg."

According to The Sun, two men were riding the stolen bike which crashed into a Mercedes. Both were injured and one was caught by police while the other fled the scene - before being caught by the actor.

Both are reportedly facing theft charges.