Tory MP Johnny Mercer (pictured) threw the man to the ground and restrained him outside an off-licence in central London in the early hours of Wednesday morning
Former Army captain Johnny Mercer tackled a racist thief to the ground as he hurled a glass bottle at a shop keeper in the capital.
The heroic Tory MP, hotly tipped for a top job, threw the man to the ground and restrained him outside an off-licence in central London in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
An onlooker said the man was pinned down but then the shop keeper told Mr Mercer to let him go because he believed ‘the police would do nothing’.
Mr Mercer, a former captain with 29 Commando Regiment, told the Mail: ‘I simply did what anyone else would do when faced by a man throwing bottles and being racist towards a shopkeeper, minding his own business and earning a living.’
Speaking after the violent incident, a cashier at the off-licence suggested attempted thefts of alcohol at the store had become routine.
The attempted theft comes after the Mail revealed how Britain is in the grip of a violent crime wave as thugs run riot on mopeds and motorbikes.
Shocking figures released this week show the armed thieves are striking more than 60 times a day.
Yesterday the eyewitness, who did not want to be named, said the thief had tried to steal a bottle and a can from the shop at about 2am, but had been caught in the act.
He then started hurling racist abuse at the shop keeper at the off-licence, which is open 24 hours a day.
An eyewitness said: ‘He became abusive, racist, and was asked to leave. He left briefly before returning, entering the shop and throwing a bottle at the shopkeeper.’
The eyewitness said the man he believed to be Mr Mercer then approached him with another man and stopped him.
‘The man (Mr Mercer) threw him on the floor to detain him for the police.’
He said the shopkeeper decided he could be let go because he did not believe the police would do anything.
Mr Mercer allegedly then returned to the shop front and apologised on behalf of the man’s behaviour.
The eyewitness added: ‘The two men who had stopped him then fist bumped and went on their way.’
The Tory party is understood to be grooming Mr Mercer as a potential future successor to Prime Minister Theresa May.
Mr Mercer has become popular among MPs after he campaigned for British troops to be spared a witch-hunt into historical allegations.
The former captain with 29 Commando Regiment (pictured with wife Felicity) previously led a damning inquiry into the treatment of British troops facing probes into historical incidents
Mr Mercer was elected as Tory MP for Plymouth Moor view in 2015. He is pictured with Theresa May in Plymouth last year
Party sources said he has been dispatched by the Conservative Campaign Headquarters to tour the Tory party dinner circuit as they gear him up to a leadership bid post-Brexit.
They said MPs, including former military officers, were positioning themselves to back the young MP for Plymouth Moor View for the top job to give the party a new facelift.
They said that over the last 12 months he has attended a staggering 90 events including fundraisers as he widens his public profile.
By contrast, some MPs only attend three or four a year.
A friend of Mr Mercer, who is married with two children, said: ‘He is a solid character.
‘He has a no nonsense personality and he’s got a wide family team behind him. He is a breath of fresh air and comes across as being genuine.’
One MP who is pushing him to stand and has a military background said: ‘There is a lot of dead wood in the ministerial ranks at the moment.’
Another Tory MP said: ‘He is a hell of a leader of men and has an impressive military record.
‘I think he is definitely an interesting name of the several being bandied about but I can’t see him putting himself forward as it’s not his style and whether he would want to do it is the big question.’
The former captain with 29 Commando Regiment led a damning inquiry into the treatment of British troops facing relentless probes into historical incidents in 2016.
He has also spoken out about mental health in the armed forces and Afghan interpreters who have been abandoned by the British government.