Tom Hardy chased down a thief like a real-life action hero

SWOON.

Words by Jadie Troy-Pryde

Tom Hardy is an absolute gem, and we can't count the times that we fell completely in love with him. He's a through and through dog lover (and actually rescues cats), his old MySpace account is a thing of wonder and he is always standing up for women in the film industry.

Team that with his gravelly voice and impeccable guns and it's no wonder he's constantly awarded with Sexiest A-Lister awards.

And as if we needed another reason to swoon over him, Tom decided to become a real-life action hero and no one can quite deal.

The 39 year-old actor is known for his roles in multi-million dollar movies like Legend and Batman, so when Tom spotted a thief in his neighbourhood he was fully ready.

According to reports, a witness said that two men jumped a traffic light and crashed their moped into a Mercedes in Richmond, where Tom lives.

He then reportedly 'switched into superhero mode' before chasing and catching the thief, then checking him for weapons.

Tom allegedly ran through residents gardens and a building site before collaring the getaway man and declaring: 'I caught the c***!'

Witness Arun Pullen said: 'Tom must have been walking down the road. He went off like a shot in pursuit and looked furious.

'I asked Tom what happened and he told me he chased him through my back garden and caught him around the block - but the route was like an assault course.'

Since the news broke, the odds on Tom Hardy landing the role of James Bond have been slashed, with William Hill cutting the odds from 3/1 to 4/1 - making him joint second behind favourite Idris Elba.

Sunday afternoons are never dull when Tom's around...