THIS is the shocking moment thieves used an angle grinder to steal a £1,000 electric bike in broad daylight.

A video shows how the gang used a power tool to chop the lock off the e-bike in less than a minute.

Footage shows them making off with the green Carrera Vengeance from near the Jubilee Library in Brighton.

Owner Pavel Jermolajev, who uses the e-bike while delivering takeaways for Uber Eats, was inside the library studying at the time.

He came out to discover it was gone.

He said: “I went to the police station and there wasn’t anybody, they told me to make a report online. "

The Argus: Pavel's bike before being customised. Inset shows battery installed.Pavel's bike before being customised. Inset shows battery installed.

The 22-year-old student managed to get hold of the footage from the library.

He has released it in a bid to be reunited with his e-bike.

Pavel also went to a number of bars and restaurants in the area to try and get more CCTV.

He added said: “They won’t give me the CCTV without the police.

“I just need a little help of police where we can see them, see their faces.”

The custom-built electric bicycle was stolen at 4.10pm on Tuesday 12 October.

Footage shows four men arriving at the scene on four bicycles before using an angle grinder during the theft.

The Argus: One of the thieves sawing Pavel's lock. His sidekicks can be seen top right. Inset shows North Place, the direction they fled.One of the thieves sawing Pavel's lock. His sidekicks can be seen top right. Inset shows North Place, the direction they fled.

It took less than a minute from when the angle grinder was first used on the lock, to when the men can be seen fleeing.

The D-lock was left on the ground, along with one of the thief’s bikes, which they dumped.

The thieves ran up the stairs on to North Place and would have had to cycle past Bill’s restaurant on North Road.

The computing student constructed the bike for just over £1000.

He uses it to commute for his two jobs as a chef and Uber Eats driver.

The video below shows the theft.

Sussex Police advise on their website that people should double lock their bikes, as well as register the frame number on websites such as BikeRegister or immobilise.com.

A police spokesman said they are investigating the crime.

He said: “We can confirm we are investigating a report of a bike having been stolen from Brighton.

“The green Carrera Vengeance was stolen from outside the Prince Regent Swimming Complex off North Street around 4.10pm on Tuesday 12 October.

“Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to report it online or call 101, quoting reference number 47210176442.”

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