A Wimbledon councillor has expressed gratitude after a “kind man” came to his daughter’s aid when a group of youths on bikes attempted to mug her in Wimbledon.

Cllr Paul Kohler, a Lib Dem councillor for Wimbledon Town Centre and Dundonald Ward, took to the social media platform NextDoor to try and seek out the man who had helped her.

She was out jogging at around 3.15pm on the junction of Gap Road and Ashcombe Road when a group of youths on bikes road into her and attempted to mug her.

Cllr Kohler said: “My youngest daughter was jogging along the road listening to her iPhone when a teenage boy forced her to stop by riding his bike straight into her mid-rift as the rest of the gang aggressively surrounded her with their bikes.”

A stranger “put his own personal safety to the side in aid of someone in need” and stepped in to stop the incident.

Both the local police and Cllr Kohler have praised the man for his act of kindness.

Cllr Kohler added: “When someone intervenes to help, it restores your faith in humanity, just like when the Polish Community worked with the police to apprehend the perpetrators who attacked me in my home a few years ago.”

Cllr Kohler was left with severe facial injuries after a terrifying raid on his home in 2014 where he was beaten by a gang of burglars.

Many residents have expressed their concern on social media regarding the amount of attempted and successful robberies that are occurring in the SW19 area.

Cllr Kohler explained: “My constituents are deeply concerned about the recent increase in mugging incidents across Wimbledon.

“Merton is one of the safest boroughs in London and it’s important we keep it that way.

“I am pleased our local police are prioritising the issue and putting resources into apprehending the small number of perpetrators involved.”

No arrests have currently been made relating to the Gap Road attempted mugging and investigations are ongoing.

The Met Police has recently claimed that they are “stepping up their response to robbery” with high “visibility foot and mobile patrols to deter potential criminals in robbery hotspots and intelligence-led operations to target repeat offenders”

Neighbourhood Police Inspector for Merton, Martin Drew said: “Merton is one of the safest boroughs in London so I’d like to reassure the public that our officers will continue all of their hard work with our partners to tackle violent crime as one of our priorities, making Merton an even safer place to be.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the male that put his own personal safety to the side to come to the aid of someone in need, something deserving of the highest praise and what a wonderful act.”

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Police are currently investigating an incident involving a young female who was the victim of an attempted mugging in the vicinity of Gap Road / Ashcombe Road.

“Officers are speaking with the victim to gain the full details of the incident and will ensure a thorough investigation takes place to give us the best opportunity to identify and arrest the responsible individuals.”

Cllr Kohler added: “Such incidents make people, particularly women and girls, nervous about walking the street and it is important we prioritise apprehending the perpetrators as fear of crime can be as debilitating as the crime itself.

“Violence against Women and Girls is an increasing problem on our streets.

“I am pleased the Council began prioritising this issue after Merton Lib Dems called an emergency Council meeting to highlight the problem locally in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard.

“However I remain disappointed that the Labour administration have refused to put greater emphasis on Restorative Justice as it is critical that the voice of the victim is heard loudly and clearly in such situations.”