The British actor jumped out of his Uber taxi after witnessing a Deliveroo cyclist being smashed over the head with a bottle by a group of men.

• Jun 4, 2018

AceShowbiz - Benedict Cumberbatch has been hailed a hero after fighting off a gang of muggers who attacked a food delivery rider.

The 41-year-old actor was with wife Sophie Hunter when he jumped out of his Uber taxi after witnessing a Deliveroo cyclist being smashed over the head with a bottle by a group of men.

According to witnesses, Cumberbatch dragged the four muggers off the victim, who was in his 20s, in the incident that happened on Marylebone Road in central London.

It is alleged that the gang were trying to steal the cyclist's bike, but nothing was stolen, according to British newspaper The Telegraph.

Sherlock star Cumberbatch told The Sun newspaper after his brave intervention: "I did it out of, well, I had to, you know..."

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that they were called to reports of an assault, and that the group had headed off along Marylebone Road towards Baker Street, the street where fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes lives.

The victim was unharmed and did not need hospital treatment, police added.

Cumberbatch's Uber driver Manuel Dias, 53, described the father-of-two as a "superhero", and only recognised it was the famous actor when he jumped out of the car.

Dias, who also intervened in the scuffle to try and to help the victim, said: "Then it all got a bit surreal. Here was Sherlock Holmes fighting off four attackers just round the corner from Baker Street. I had hold of one lad and Benedict another. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing."

He revealed the attackers may have fled after they recognised Cumberbatch.

"He was very brave. He did most of it, to be honest," Dias explained. "They tried to hit him but he defended himself and pushed them away. He wasn't injured.

"Then I think they also recognised it was Benedict and ran away."

No arrests have yet been made.