Two teenagers have been charged with multiple offences after a large knife was used to threaten staff at a London estate agency, police have revealed.

An investigation was launched after two males walked into the agency’s branch in Elephant & Castle in central London at 4.50pm on 3rd January and stole mobile phones from staff at knife point.

The estate agency is understood to be Chase Evans, which has a branch within the No.1 Elephant new-build block on St Gabriel Walk (pictured, above).

Police say 18-year-old Frankie Batchelor and a 15-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been charged with a long list of offences. These include robbery, using a vehicle without insurance, not having a moped licence, aggravated vehicle taking, criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon, taking and driving away, attempted robbery, and both attempted and actual theft from a person.

Batchelor has been remanded in custody and both are due to appear at the Inner London Crown Court on 4th February.

Moped robberies

The horrific scenes at the estate agency were just one of a spate of moped robberies carried out over a two-day period last week in the SE1 area.

After the estate agency, a coffee shop was raided in the City, also at knife point, and a laptop stolen. The next day on 4th January, four more moped robberies and attempted robberies were reported in the area.

Later that day two people were arrested in the Rotherhithe area of London and a knife, a moped and clothing worn during the raids recovered by police.