When a man was spotted trying to steal from an elderly veteran during Remembrance Weekend, a biker took matters into his own hands to prevent the theft from going down.
Forty-three-year-old Steve Norman was caught attempting to snatch a wallet from a veteran who was out collecting donations in the name of the Royal British Legion. The would-be thief had been watching the veteran from a nearby hotel, said a bystander, and had just snuck up the street after him and snagged his billfold.
But when someone cried out to stop the thief, he got flustered and turned to run—directly into the Oxleather Motorcycle Club.
In a startling but heroic video shared on social media, members of the biker club—many of whom are former servicemen themselves—restrain Norman to prevent him from getting away with the veteran’s money.
“He started accusing the lads of assault because apparently, this man is very good at the thieving stuff, but when it comes down to somebody standing up to him, he cries assault so that he becomes the victim,” Burrows said. “I took the video to protect the lads really. I wanted to make it aware that if there are any more veterans within Staffordshire that might need help ringing the police.”
The bikers immediately took down Norman, but they didn’t take it much farther than that. Instead, the group held on to Norman in a headlock until the police arrived, handing him off to authorities to be properly dealt with.
“The majority of them are ex-army, but they are from all walks of life,” said Burrows, who was grateful that the bikers were around to help. “Us ex-servicemen turn up in uniform and people have a look at the bikes and put money in and go on their merry way.”
As for the victim? He’s doing fine, but Burrows explained that it was a disappointment to see someone as well liked and well known as him be the near-victim of a crime like that.
“He dishes out the boxes of poppies to the shops in Staffordshire. He’s a Irishman very, very funny, very good sense of humor,” Burrows said. “The victim is well known in the area and within the Poppy Appeal.”
The poppies themselves serve as a symbol of the sacrifices made by veterans during World Wars I and II, and are sold by veterans during Remembrance Day in Canada and Remembrance Weekend in Great Britain. The money from the sales, which are made by local veterans, often goes to both local veterans and police groups in England and Canada, serving as funds to provide assistance to in-need families who have a loved one who either served or is currently serving in the armed forces.
