A witness has described how actor Tom Hardy was seen apprehending a suspected moped thief after pursuing him through gardens and a building site.

The Hollywood star looked like he "switched into superhero mode" as he collared the man before checking him for weapons after the chase near his home in Richmond, south west London, an onlooker told The Sun.

According to the newspaper, Hardy explained "I caught the c***t" shortly after finding the man.

With Hardy's help two suspects were detained in connection with the theft, The Sun said.

The witness said two males had jumped a red light at a busy junction before crashing into a £50,000 Mercedes.

"Tom must have been walking down the road. He went off like a shot in pursuit and looked furious", Arun Pullen, 22, said.

He added: "I asked Tom what happened and he told me he chased him through my back garden and caught him around the block - but the route was like an assault course."

Hardy, 39, who starred in blockbusters The Dark Knight Rises and The Revenant and recently co-wrote and appeared in BBC drama Taboo, reportedly performed a citizen's arrest on the fleeing suspect.

Mr Pullen's girlfriend, Kalisha, a fan of the actor, told the newspaper: "There was no mistaking him."

A spokeswoman for the star declined to comment, the newspaper said.

Press Association