A CONSULTANT surgeon attacked by hammer-wielding robbers on mopeds in front of his wife and 12-year-old daughter has called on the police to catch the gang “before they kill someone” – after they struck again in Hampstead. 

The 43-year-old Harley Street doctor, who does not wish to be named for security reasons, said the area has turned into “the depths of South Africa” after CCTV footage was released this week showing a similar gang robbing a wealthy businessman of his £60,000 watch outside his home in Platts Lane. 

Police have connected the raids to a series of attacks by gangs on mopeds who have struck at least five times in Hampstead, Kilburn and Cricklewood in the past year.

Victims are targeted and followed for their high-value jewellery before being attacked.

The surgeon, who has lived in Hampstead for many years, told the New Journal that it was a “pandemic” and called the “lack of action” by police “shocking”.

He and his wife were returning from a medical charity event in Park Lane at around 11.20pm on September 20 last year, he said, when a moped began to tail them. 

As they parked outside their home the robbers struck.

“I got out of the car and two of them attacked us,” he said. “One of them went for my wife. The other guy tried to swing the hammer at my head, I ducked and he hit my right shoulder. I was screaming because I didn’t want my daughter to open the door. She was 12 at the time. My son was also inside, he was eight. My wife punched one of the guys and ran into the street to get help. They took my £30,000 watch.”

Sergeant Ryan Keating, of the Hampstead and Frognal and Fitzjohns wards, told the Hampstead Safer Neighbourhood Panel on Tuesday that the gang is also believed to have struck in Nutley Terrace, off Finchley Road, last week, and that “there is still an outstanding moped gang out there”.

He added that it had been “taken out of our hands” and was being investigated by the London Crime Squad.

The attack in Platts Lane, which happened in April, took place three weeks before moped riders also robbed the Hampstead home of professional footballer Alexander Merkel on May 2.

The 22-year-old, on loan to Watford from Italian club Udinese, opened the door whilst they were attempting to smash it down. The thieves then grabbed a bag and rode off. 

In December last year a wealthy 54-year-old property investor was violently assaulted and robbed of his £8,000 Rolex watch after parking his Porsche 911 outside his home in South Hampstead in a similar attack. 

Some of the victims feel there has been a lack of action on the part of the police to protect residents.

“What is more shocking than what happened is the lack of action by the police,” said the surgeon, who gave police the CCTV footage from outside his house.

“I feel like they have done nothing, because it is still happening eight months later. I don’t feel secure in my own house. My wife, when she comes home, she drives round the block twice now just in case – it is awful, absolutely dreadful.

“Police are closing every station down and crime is getting worse. I am putting a planning application in for big gates for security. Can you imagine living in north London, having to do this to feel safe in your house? This is like the depths of South Africa. We don’t want to use security gates, we don’t want to live like this. They are going to kill somebody very soon.” 

The attacks on individuals also come in the wake of the robberies of businesses including a cash-in-transit robbery of Barclay’s Bank, in Hampstead High Street, on February 11 this year, and an armed robbery of Tesco in Heath Street days later on February 28 after a man held up a member of staff before making off with £1,400 in cash. 

A spokesman from Barnet Police urged residents to remain “vigilant” and dial 990 “mopeds acting suspiciously”. He said that patrols have been increased in the area.