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Britain's Got Talent winner George Sampson joins Harry Taylor to make citizen's arrest

A Gravesend freerunner has told of the moment he chased a suspected thief and held him - with Britain's Got Talent winner George Sampson.

Harry Taylor, of Gravesend, had joined up with pal George - who won the talent contest in 2008 aged just 14 - on the South Bank of London yesterday.

They were training for parkour, or free running, near the Imax cinema, when they heard a woman screaming.

Harry Taylor joined pal George Sampson to help detain an alleged thief
Harry Taylor joined pal George Sampson to help detain an alleged thief

She claimed someone had stolen her son's money.

But, while police were chasing another of the alleged thieves, Harry, 21, saw the other running away towards Lambeth Bridge and encouraged George to follow.

In a daring move, the brave pair made a citizen's arrest of the suspect, and kept him until police arrived.

Harry, who's unemployed, said: "We ran all the way up the pathway. No-one else was paying attention."

Police arrived and arrested the man. The woman, who was visiting the capital from Cardiff, with her son, thanked both the lads.

Speaking after the event, Harry said he didn't stop to think about what he was doing.

George Sampson. Picture: Nadola Ness
George Sampson. Picture: Nadola Ness

"I was thinking about the boy. If I had a son and it happened to him I would be exactly the same.

"I don't know if I'm a hero. I do feel good because we stopped him and the mum gave me a hug.

"There were hundreds of people there, but it was us who ran about half a mile after him."

Harry met George Sampson through the Xbox, playing remotely against the talent show star, before meeting up with him and sharing a love of free running.

The pair have been to events together, and Harry now considers George a good friend.

Harry has been interested in free running seriously since 2011.

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