‘HAVE-A-GO heroes’ helped foil a frightening mugging over Bank Holiday weekend in Bromsgrove as several brave locals chased down and cornered the suspected culprits.

Two teenage boys were arrested after allegedly threatening a lad of a similar age and stealing his bike not far from Bromsgrove railway station in the early evening on Saturday (May 24).

The victim’s mother has used social media to thank residents who helped apprehend the offenders and prevent them from making a clean getaway.

Neil Prosser, a former member of the armed forces, was one of the locals who gave chase and said his military instincts sprung into action.

He added: “I have three kids myself – I guess part of me hopes that other people would have done the same if it was my child [in danger].”

The 35-year-old said he was queueing in the Co-Op store on Stoke Road when the victim approached shoppers in a ‘visibly shaken’ state, ‘stuttering that he’d been mugged and threatened with his life’.

“I started running down toward the train station,” said Mr Prosser, “and was quickly followed by two other members of the public, one on a motorbike, the other on a pushbike.

“As I turned the corner, two youths turned around at the noise of the motorbike to see three of us fast approaching – they dropped the pushbike and started sprinting toward the trains.”

The youths then split up, one locking himself into the toilet of a train where two Good Samaritans kept watch outside until police arrived, while the other scaled a fence in an attempt to escape.

However, Mr Prosser doubled back, ensuring the bike was returned to the victim, then driving to where he thought the second youth would have landed when he climbed the fence.

Despite the youth ditching his coat in an attempt to look different, Mr Prosser soon found him and gave chase into Garrington Road where helpful residents pointed out where the youth was hiding.

British Transport Police confirmed two arrests were made.

A spokesperson said: “British Transport Police were called at 6.13pm on 23/05 to Bromsgrove station following a report of a robbery.

“Two teenage boys, both aged 15 and from Birmingham, were arrested and have since been released on bail until 21/06 while officers carry out further enquiries.”