How many policemen does it take to catch a bike thief? Mob of officers descend on park to fine youths who tormented lone PCSO and stole his cycle as he tried to disperse crowd during lockdown

A mob of police flocked to help a PCSO who was humiliated by a group of young men flouting lockdown to play cricket - who then laughed at the officer when his bicycle was taken. 

The brazen moment the PCSO's bike was taken as he tried to disperse the mob on Godolphin playing fields, Slough, was captured on video.

As the officer explained the importance of current restrictions on public gatherings, one of the group grabbed his bicycle and started running off - as parts of the group then laugh and taunt the PCSO, saying 'you just got robbed!' before the bicycle was left behind.

The officer called for backup which was then deployed, with at least a dozen officers arriving moments later to fine members of the group. 

Thames Valley Police also charged alleged bike thief Hassan Ali, 23, with a section 4a public order offence and one count of taking a bicycle without consent. 

Ali was arrested on Wednesday after a PCSO was 'intimidated by a group of men' who had gathered on the playing fields. 

He has been bailed to appear at Reading Magistrates’ Court on 4 June.  

Thames Valley Police had praised the PCSO for his 'professionalism and great constraint' during the incident. 

Recent figures revealed that police handed out more than 9,000 fines to people in England and Wales for flouting coronavirus lockdown laws - including 397 repeat offenders. One was given six fixed penalty notices in the past month. 

Eight out of ten fines were given to men - and 54 per cent of those who flouted the rules were aged between 18 and 29. 

The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said 8,877 tickets were handed out by forces in England between March 27 and April 27, while 299 were issued in Wales over the same period.

These peaked over the Easter weekend with an average of 500 fines per day issued as temperatures reached 79F (26C).  

In the earlier bicycle theft footage, as the support officer raises his palms in disbelief, he is met with taunts of 'do we go home?' in a high-pitched tone.

The person filming says: 'Go home, how are you going to get home, officer? Where's your bike?'

One the group says: 'Look how many cameras there are around you right now'.

The PCSO says: 'I don't care, I'm doing the right thing here.'

One of those gathered in the field taunts: 'Daddy pig says go home.'

Another of the group says: 'Leave it man, he's about to cry, man.'

The PCSO says: 'Go home, seriously.'

Video of the incident was shared online, bringing in more than 150,000 views.