A man took the law into his own hands and deliberately charged his car at a teenage girl who had been riding “nuisance” mopeds in a Tooting neighbourhood, residents claim.

The vigilante is said to have become so enraged at the noise caused by the girl and her friends on their bikes that he got behind the wheel of his car.

The youths were speeding around Topsham Road at 2am last Saturday when a man in his 50s stormed out and got in his car, an eyewitness said.

He then put his headlights on and charged at a girl rider twice, before the youths pelted his car with sticks and he drove off.

A resident of Montana Road said: “As the riders came along he deliberately drove at them.

“He went right towards the girl and stopped a couple of inches away from her.

“Then he did a u-turn and deliberately drove at her again. She shouted, ‘he’s trying to run me over’.

“He looked like he had enough of all the noise. I don’t blame him. You don’t get much sleep around here.”

The incident happened after seven 18-year-old boys riding around the neighbourhood and doing wheelies offered a girl of the same age a ride.

An eyewitness said they looked like they had been drinking and the girl was not wearing a crash helmet when she was attacked.

The car disappeared for a number of hours but was parked up the next morning, while the youths have allegedly vowed to take their own revenge rather than inform police.

Officers say teenage moped riders are disturbing residents around the Tooting Bec area, with Blakenham Road being another hot spot.

Last week police announced two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, were issued Section 59 warnings for their careless and inconsiderate riding in the road.

A Blakenham Road resident said: “I’m glad police are taking action against the noise because we have families living down here.

“It must be really hard getting children to sleep when people are riding up and down like that.”

Police have the power to stop and seize a vehicle if they believe it is causing alarm, distress or annoyance to the public.

Officers say steps are being taken to identify and issue warnings to other offenders and officers are hoping to hold an educational workshop addressing the appropriate use of mopeds.