Hero Daniel Radcliffe rushes to aid of tourist slashed in the face by armed moped robbers

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe rushed to the aid a tourist who was "slashed in the face" in a moped robbery, it has emerged. The 27-year-old actor was among a group of people who helped the victim after the attack in West London.

The Evening Standard reports that a man in his 50s was targeted by two thugs who made off with his expensive Louis Vuitton bag after slashing his face with a knife. The incident is the latest in a spate of crimes involving mopeds in recent weeks.

David Videcette, a former policeman with the Met Police's counter-terror unit, said he knew trouble was brewing when he noticed the men behaving suspiciously.

"They grappled with him [the victim] on the pavement. He wasn't going to give up the bag willingly. I tried to ram the bike with my car but I wasn't able to," he told the publication of his bid to intervene.

Moments after police were called, one of the riders pulled out a knife and launched the attack. Vidicette told the paper that he tried to pursue the assailants but they sped off and "I lost them as they were jumping red lights".

When he returned to the scene, Radcliffe was one for the many people that stopped to comfort the injured victim, who was only in the UK for a short holiday. "It was a bit of a surreal moment," he said. "He was a really nice bloke, a lot of stars wouldn't have stopped to help. The victim was very, very shaken up."

A spokesperson for Radcliffe confirmed he was present but declined to comment further.

The Met Police confirmed that police were called to the scenes at approximately 6.10pm on 14 July to reports of a robbery in Hortensia Road and that the victim suffered a cut to the face during the incident.