Photos: Shocking moment thief punches and spits on mother in front of her kids

A woman was viciously attacked by a thief after she tried to warn an aged pensioner that she was about to be robbed. The man turned to the lady and shockingly punched, kicked and spat on the woman, in the presence of her young kids.

The shocking incident took place in central Stockholm, Sweden, earlier this month and was caught on security cameras. The attack since it's footage went viral has caused outrage in Sweden, with the head of the police investigation swearing to catch the perpetrator . The video shows an elderly woman walking out of the Gamla Stan[Old Town] tube station and picking up her phone out of her bag.

As she answers the call, the thief walks up behind her and tries to steal her wallet out of her open bag,but the mother passing by foils his attempt signalling to the elderly woman that she was about to be robbed. 'The mother who sees this screams to the old lady to watch out, and pushes the man's hand out,' lead investigator Stefan Tellqvist with Stockholm City Police told SVT. The thief then turns on the mother, who is holding the hand of one of her children, kicks her in the stomach and hits her across the face. He walks off, leaving the woman in shock, and exits the station , seconds later, he returns and runs after the woman and spits her in the face as she is holding her child in her arms. 'It is the worst thing I have ever seen during my years as a police officer, said Mr Tellqvist. 'I will get him, if it's the last thing I do.'