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No, but some years back near Nottingham I caught a guy lifting someone elses bike. What amazed me was this scumbag was in broad daylight outside a supermarket. Loads of people were looking and going by. No one said a word or did anything as he carried it off with the rear wheel lifted. It was just shouting to me "I'm a bike thief" but NO ONE did anything! (Fool who left it only locked it through the wheel).
It was before I had a mobile, but I followed the guy kind of discretely. He dumped it a couple of hundred meters away in a pub car park, and went away to fetch his mates. I called the Coppers with full description, and they had him rounded up within ten minutes.
What was staggering was the complete lack of interest from loads of people from daylight robbery right under their noses.
The bloke who's bike it was never quite worked out what happened. I met him at the police station later (he had his bike back by then), and he thought I was some sort of undercover cop!
Christ, I'm getting a bigger chain.
Never had to intervene myself, but my Dad has on a number of occasions. He is not a big man, but of solid frame and a former county-champion sprinter (and still runs marathons). He is also a pillar of the community and a mild-mannered man, but does not appreciate being robbed.
1. In my folks' old house, he walked into the living room to find someone sizing up the stereo. Gave chase. Sufficient adrenaline was generated in the would-be thief for him to clear a 6ft fence on his way out of the garden. My Dad chased him for over a mile before eventually losing him. He knew who it was (actually a very distant relation!) and reported it to the police. Nothing done about it, other than the police trying to get my Dad to pin it on someone else, despite him telling them exactly whodunnit.
2. Packing car in driveway to go on holiday. My Dad walks out the front door to find someone robbing the contents of the car. Gives chase. Catches him in the street outside. Recovers property and gives would-be thief some encouragement not to do it again. Thief runs off. Reported to police, but nothing came of it (although their reply to my Dad's question about whether or not he was within his rights to hit the bloke was apparently "Ideally what you want is a big stick, sir.").
3. Carbon copy of above. Again my Dad catches the guy, despite pulling a hamstring in the initial acceleration, and recovers the stolen property.
My Dad rocks. 
I lived in Westminster for a bit, we used to have loads of car break ins. Local kids would rob anything from your car. My upstairs neighbour had a bag and some stuff nicked from his car one night. Police attended and said that the local kids used a crutch to break the windows, apparently one of them would pretend to be on crutches, a few of them would look around and then one would smash the window. Anyway a few weeks went by and my neighbour was coming back from the pub a bit pissed. Noticed a young guy with crutches near his car. Dude stops and bends down behind his car. Neighbour goes mental, runs over and proceeds to kick the crap out of the guy, really went to town on him. About 2 minutes in he notices the dark blue cast on the guys left leg... I'd like to say he did the decent thing and apologised, but he panicked and legged it. Only told me about 6 months later.
I used to work in Woking Surrey . They had a mad parking scheme where it worked out cheaper to pay every 2 hours, than pay all day. My collegue used to cycle in and lock his bike in the cycle park provided by the council .
One day we are off to top up my parking meter and we see this lad carrying a front wheel less bike .' Thats my bike ' states collegue. I sent him to quickly double check whilst I follow scummer up the road.
About 30 seconds later colleague comes back and confirsm its his bike.
Right Ho. No messing about , Hit the ****er from behind and floor him.
Grab the little shit's arm and collar and launch him up against a brick wall. Really give him some verbal and don't give him the chance to see me or get a word in as I'm not a big lad .
The people in the shop I have him pinned up against come out ' We've called the Police . You better let him go' Yeah , right like thats going to happen . then 2 lads in suits appear ,' we watched him stealing car stereos in the car park yesterday '.
the Police arrive after about 10 mins. ' Hello Warren, in the back mate'.
Smack head scum , known persistant offender . Had to give statemenst etc. He gets let off witha cautiuon .
Wish I had broken his arm when I had him pinned up against the wall.
I caught someone who nicked my old whyte e5. Did the right thing and held him face down in the street while on the phone to the police until they arrived. Despite having hundreds of offences and not even twenty he got another supervision order. Next time I would give them a shoeing as doing the right thing does nothing. Obviously hit myself as well so it lookeed like I was defending myself.I was off to the alps the day I caught him.
@singletrackmind - good story mate. I'm currently enjoying a Treacle Stout 🙂 Luverly!!
Many years back my brother had his road bike stolen from work, later that evening I was walking past a local establishment when I saw my Bro's bike sat outside the pub, As i went to retrieve it 2 scrotes came out the pub and one went to get on the bike, I went to stop them and they started threatening me !! I was a touch angry so I gave them both a dry slap before they legged it leaving behind my Bro's bike and another bike that we handed into the local old bill. I dont know if the other bike was stolen but I doubt they called the police to report it stolen.
I also had a bike stolen from my local boozer many years ago so put a word in to some local scrotes and the following day a 13 year old lad appeared at my front door with the bike saying he found it ! sometimes being part of a well known rough family pays 😉
what is a dry slap and where can I get one?
not bike
comming out of mates house in cambridge, my mate says isnt that your car pulling away?
i immediately threw what i had at the driverside window; a half full plastic oasis bottle which did nothing other than make the guy floor it
so later that day back near my house, other side of town, i see my car go past and pull in to talk to some scrote on a bike, call police
police come, chase him, loose him, find him, he crashes it into a warehouse, writing it off and then gets away
hed hada busy day though my car was now stuffed with crates of eggs several cases of baby lotion and a shit load of toilet rolls,
- the police never found out where he stole these items from