Cyclist takes down bike thief with rugby tackle before fighting him off in dramatic video

Cycle shop mechanic gives chase after spotting an opportunist youth attempting to ride away

Dramatic footage shows the moment a cyclist rugby-tackled and fought off a thief who tried to steal his bike after he left it unlocked for just seconds.

The cycle shop mechanic gave chase after spotting an opportunist youth attempting to ride away on his carbon racing bike, which he had propped up against a wall outside a shop.

CCTV footage showed him running at the thief after he climbed into the saddle of his bike in Dublin just 16 seconds after it was left unguarded.

After taking him down, the mechanic confronts the thief, who briefly puts up a fight before fleeing with a friend.

The bike was damaged as its owner wrestled it back from the thief.

Dublin bike shop 360 Cycles, where the mechanic works, posted the footage on Instagram.

"How quick can a bike be robbed? Less than 17 seconds based on this video," the post said.

"One of our senior mechanics was very lucky to get away with about €200 [£180] worth of damage rather than losing his carbon racing bike.

"This happened in Clontarf over the weekend and we would like to urge all bike owners to lock their bikes at all times even if you are just leaving it for under a minute."