This is the moment a thief on a motorbike steals a young woman’s handbag and is immediately punched to the ground by two nearby men.

The incident was filmed in the district of Bras in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo at around 6am on 17th November.

According to the news site G1, the 44-year-old motorcyclist, disguised as a delivery person, attacked a young woman on the pavement and snatched her bag.

The footage shows the young victim walking along the pavement before the biker confronts her and snatches her bag, causing her to run away in fear.

However, two men run out of a nearby entrance and punch the suspect to the ground.

The young woman picks up her bag as the suspect is kicked in the head and another have-a-go hero runs over to assist the two men.

Four people soon gather around the thief on the ground, who is repeatedly beaten, and at one point they apparently check if he has a weapon on him.

By the end of the video, the men make sure the suspect remains on the ground while apparently waiting for the police to arrive on the scene.

The Department of Public Security said in a statement: “The police were called to attend an incident of theft and found the suspect detained by a group of people.

“A witness said he saw the man on a motorcycle attack the victim, a 27-year-old woman, and took her purse.

“Despite the situation, the witness and his brother managed to detain him.”

The investigation continues.