CCTV footage has emerged of brazen thieves using an unusual method to steal a tuk tuk parked in a residential street.

Last week, The Guardian reported the auto rickshaw, belonging to coffee cart firm We Are Here and affectionately known as Fred, was stolen in Leslie Road, Leyton, on Tuesday, October 10.

Now, security camera footage of the theft released by We Are Here owner Em Herriott, shows thieves breaking into the tuk tuk before using a car to push it away down the street.

In the footage, one unidentified man is seen to approach the vehicle and open a door before two other individuals crowd around.

Two of the suspects make an attempt to push the tuk tuk away on foot, before a car is driven behind the rickshaw and used to shunt it away from the scene.

A campaign has been launched on social media in an attempt to reunite Fred with owner Ms Herriott using the hashtag "#findfred".

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

We Are Here owner Em Herriott with Fred the tuk tuk

The net could now be closing on the thieves, and there was a reported sightinig of the tuk tuk in Canning Town over the weekend.

The coffee cart, which was custom made and imported from India and was regularly seen serving up drinks to commuters next to the cab rank at Leyton station.

Ms Herriott, 31, previously told the Guardian Series: “A lot of people in Leyton know the business and they look out for Fred, so it is difficult to know who would want to take him.

“The phone has been ringing, people social media and other local businesses have been so supportive, it is nice to see how much everyone has fallen in love with Fred.

“But my intention is to get going again as soon as possible and figure out what changes we need to make to the business without Fred.

“I would be super happy if we could get him back, it would be great if we did not have to worry about this and everything could just go back to normal.”

  • Anyone with information on Fred’s whereabouts is asked to call police on 101