A 24-year-old man who was part of a gang that stormed a jewellers armed with hammers and axes has pleaded guilty.

Lookman Shekoni, of Josephine Avenue, Lambeth, pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court on Monday, September 28 to robbery having being caught by “brave” passers-by at the scene.

At 2pm on Monday, September 7, four mopeds pulled up on the pavement outside the Jewellery Gallery shop in Kingsbury Road, Kingsbury.

Three of the suspects stayed with the vehicles while one stood outside the shop armed with an axe to scare off anyone who might try to intervene.

The rest of the suspects forced their way inside the shop with a large metal ram and used hammers and axes to threaten staff members, before stealing thousands of pounds of Indian and Iranian jewellery, placing it in large laundry bags.

A large crowd of shop keepers and shoppers had begun to gather outside the shop, and the robbers ran out and got back onto the mopeds.

As the suspects made off up Kingsbury Road, members of the public started throwing various objects to try to knock them off and one of the mopeds was surrounded and the riders pushed off by the crowd.

The passenger - Shekoni - punched a man in the face but was detained by the crowd until police arrived and arrested him.

A significant amount of jewellery was recovered from the scene and handed back but items valued at between £300,000 and £400,000 remain outstanding with £50,000 worth of damage caused to the premises.

Detective Inspector Scott Hartley, of the Flying Squad, said: "Shekoni was pulled off his moped while trying to flee the scene by members of the public appalled at what was taking place in their community.

"While we would never encourage people to get involved directly in this way, I would like to commend the brave actions of passers-by that led to Shekoni being promptly arrested.

“They acted with little regard for their own safety, intent on catching those who had carried out such a brazen robbery in broad daylight.

"The evidence against Shekoni was overwhelming and he had little choice but to plead guilty.”

Shekoni will be sentenced on Monday, November 2 for the robbery, along with a night-time burglary at an opticians in St John's Wood High Street in August.

He also pleaded guilty to this offence on Monday, September 28.

Police continue to appeal for information about seven other suspects involved in the smash-and-grab robbery.

Anyone with information about the remaining suspects should call the Flying Squad on 020 8785 8655 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.