A COUNTDOWN champion filmed the moment his driving lesson was sabotaged by a group of yobs.
Alex Smith was just finishing his lesson in Birmingham yesterday when a group of five teens approached the car and ridiculed him.
The vile gang spat chewing gum at the driving instructor before shaking the vehicle and trying to get it to tip over.
Alex, who won four Countdown shows in October 2017, decided to get his phone out to capture the boys’ faces.
The footage shows the boys standing next to the car in hysterics as they shout: “Hey buddy, you’ve failed. You’ve failed.”
The instructor is then shown telling the boys calmly: “Move away from the car please.”
At this point, one teen, wearing a grey puffer jacket, decided to lean into the car and grab the mobile phone from Alex.
Luckily the thief managed to drop the phone as he was running off with his friends.
Alex, a second year media student, took to Facebook last night (tue) to speak of his ordeal.
He wrote: “Today, (Tuesday 20th March), I took a driving lesson when we were coming to the end of the lesson.
“I was turning into Harringay Road in Birmingham near Kingstanding Circle when my instructor told me to park up on the left, I was quick to notice five young hooded males walk up to the car and saying “deffo fail”.
“One of the d***heads decided to shake the car around in an attempt to tip it over, one spat chewing gum onto the instructor.
“I decided to get some photos and video footage of these lunatics, then out of nowhere, my phone was stolen by the kid in grey and they ran off, dropping the phone in the process!
“This incident has been reported to West Midlands Police and they are dealing with it as we speak, I have got my phone and here are some screenshots of the d*head who stole my phone.
“The t**t is described as a 15 – 17 year old male wearing a grey puffa jacket and a black cap, he also has braces on his teeth. Another was wearing a navy blue north face waterproof jacket with blue jeans, and one was wearing a hood with goggles on it.
“Please share and name these people so justice is shared.”
The post has already had over 4,000 shares and attracted hundreds of comments.
Valerie Shilton said: “Stupid gang mentality.”
Ruby Logan wrote: “This sort of thing is going on a lot in the area it’s time it was stopped and someone should recognise some of them.”
Susan McClughen said: “If that was my son I’d skin him alive.”
And one follower, Zoe Harper said she had contacted the teen who tried to steal the phone’s father.
She said: “I have informed his dad he is absolutely mortified.”
This isn’t the first time this year Alex has taken to social media to out yobs in his area.
In January he shared a clip of young teens running away from a bus he was on after they started to throw stones at the vehicle.
Sharing a clip of one youngster walking away as he gave the fingers to the driver, Alex wrote: “A group of young kids were waiting by the Queslett Road, Buffet Island and the boy flagged the bus driver down and as the bus turned, he and the others decided to throw stones and cling on to the back of the 33 bus.
“The bus driver was clearly not happy with their actions and had to check for any dents or scratches.
“Then as the bus pulls away, they decide to do it again making the poor driver deal with the group again and I informed other people waiting to get on the bus, what had happened.
“For those wondering, I am safe from this ordeal.”
Speaking today, Alex, 18, said: “It was around five or ten minutes before the end of my lesson and we had pulled over at the side of the road when I spotted the five hooded youths coming around the corner.
“The one male started shaking the car so we were both in a panic at this point.”
He added: “I’m not sure if it was a targeted attack. My instructor is of Asian descent so I’m not sure if that had anything to do with that.
“I didn’t realise that the one who had grabbed my phone had dropped it until a passerby spotted it on the ground.
“I’ve never experienced this type of thing before. At the moment it’s in the hands of the police.”
A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police today (wed) said: “We were alerted to an incident in Harringay Road, Kingstanding, at around midday yesterday (March 20) after a group of male youths were reported surrounding a driving instructor’s car, shouting at the occupants, and rocking the vehicle.
“It’s understood the instructor wound down the window and asked them to stop – but that one of the offenders reached inside and grabbed the 18-year-old male pupil’s mobile phone.
“They ran off towards Caversham Road; the phone was recovered in the street. The matter has been crimed as theft and enquiries on-going.
“We would urge the teenage lads involved – who are all understood to be 15-17 years-old and white – to get in touch so we can speak to them about the matter.
“Anyone who believes they recognise members of the group is asked to call West Midlands Police on 101 quoting Crime Reference number 20BE/62557R/18.”
