A British tourist was robbed of his €20,000 watch by thieves who used pepper spray to create a distraction for their escape.
The holidaymaker was with his wife and daughter in Florence, Italy when they were attacked by two young men, aged 19 and 22.
CCTV footage captured the family outside a restaurant in Piazza della Repubblica in the heart of the historic city as one of the thieves pretended to walk past.
He then approached the father and quickly ripped the Audemars Piguet watch from his wrist.
His accomplice reportedly then used pepper spray in the direction of the victim and his family to escape during the chaos.
In retaliation, the victim kicked the thieves and attempted to chase after them.
The footage allowed Italian police to track down the thugs, who are reportedly Algerian, at a B&B, where they were arrested on charges of aggravated robbery and held in custody.
The stolen watch, worth £17,000, was found at the accommodation and returned to the owner by police.
A British tourist was robbed of his €20,000 watch by thieves who used pepper spray to create a distraction for their escape
CCTV footage captured the family outside a restaurant as one of the thieves pretended to walk past
In retaliation, the victim kicked the thieves and attempted to chase after them
It was identified due to a missing part of the strap. A can of pepper spray was also seized.
Two other men, aged 21 and 26, were found at the B&B with the thieves and were charged with receiving stolen goods.
The 26-year-old was reportedly discovered by police to be illegally living in Italy and was taken to a detention centre for deportation.
Florence welcomes around 10million tourists a year but the renaissance city, known for its gothic architecture and iconic cathedrals, has been plagued by an army of pickpockets targeting holidaymakers in the city center or on public transport.
Florence is far from the only Italian city grappling with pickpockets.
In Venice, gangs are grooming children to work as pickpockets as they seek to prevent police crackdowns from eating into their profits, officials and activists have warned.
Venice, as one of Italy's top tourist attractions, has long been a hotspot for criminal activity targeting unsuspecting holidaymakers.
The scourge has led furious residents to form their own associations to publicise the identities of those caught in the act and work as volunteer informants for police.
Officials have warned that legal loopholes already allow adult pickpockets, particularly women, to operate with little concern for law enforcement.
