BINMAN Paul Georka was cleaning the streets of Hampstead when he heard screams and saw a man being mugged in the street.

Paul, 33 who drives a refuse wagon for the London Borough of Camden, was on his nightly rounds and had reached Heath Street when he heard the attack.

"I could see two women in distress and a man being attacked. There were three of them attacking one man and I just reacted without thinking."

Grabbing the first thing that came to hand - a plastic road barrier Paul came to help George Reynolds and, as the men ran off, he gave chase.

"I managed to hit one and I nearly caught another, but they all got into a car and, out of frustration I ripped the rear windscreen wiper off. I was also able to get the first four digits of the number plate."

Thanks to Paul's actions and the details he was able to give police, the car was spotted later in the evening and Aladesuyi was arrested.

The father-of-two, who modestly admits he can look after himself, believes he acted instinctively.

"Those three guys looked like a pack of wolves and I just saw red," said Paul, the only person in the busy street to come to the aid of George, his wife Susan and his 80-year-old mother-in-law May Firth.

Last year, Paul was awarded the Borough of Camden's Citizen of the Year Award after rescuing a woman's stolen handbag.

And, while he didn't know who the mugging victim was, he has since met George and describes him as a "great geezer".

George, who gave the binman a £1,000 reward for his help, said: "He is a brave lad who never gave a thought to his own safety."