Angry Orpington residents are planning to start a vigilante group to take on a moped gang - but police have warned it could jeopardise their work.

The call to action started with an anonymous post on Facebook group Orpington Gossip.

The post said: “Anyone out there fancy starting up a vigilante group?

“Where we can go out a couple of nights a week and start taking some of this scum on mopeds off the streets."

But the Met Police said it did not support the actions of vigilantes.

A Met spokesman said: “This type of action could jeopardise or interfere with ongoing investigations, and our advice to anyone who has information about a suspect or witnesses a crime is to contact police as soon as possible so it can be investigated and, where possible, bring people to justice.

“Revealing the identity of a potential suspect could give them the opportunity to destroy evidence before police become involved.

The Facebook post, which received 133 likes, went on to say that the vigilante group would remain anonymous at first and that it would have more powers than the police.

It was mocked by some Facebook users, including one who said: “What powers would they be? You take em down and go to jail.”

But others took the post seriously and now they are speaking about how they can stop the gang in their tracks.

David Stokes told News Shopper: “The feeling is that the local area is under siege - residents have had enough of Police inaction.

“The problem has escalated over some years from what was relatively petty crime to acts of a much more sinister nature.

“Confidence amongst those responsible is clearly growing as their actions go unpunished.

“From what I can establish, the same group has been responsible across the county for theft from vehicles, motor vehicle theft, theft from the person, robbery, assault and burglary.

“They are associated with crime across Orpington, Swanley, Sevenoaks, Dartford, Tonbridge and surrounding areas to name a few!

“Conversation are taking place between a select few as to how best to resolve this problem if the police are not prepared to take meaningful action.”

Police advise anyone who witnesses crimes to call 999.