'Sherlock' actor Benedict Cumberbatch prevents mugging of delivery cyclist

Benedict Cumberbatch plays iconic detective Sherlock Holmes on the television series "Sherlock." But instead of solving crimes, the actor prevented one near his fictional home of 221B Baker Street, The Sun reported Sunday.

Cumberbatch, 41, foiled an attempted robbery by fighting off a group of assailants attempting to mug a delivery cyclist, CNN reported.

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Cumberbatch and his wife, Sophie Hunter, were riding in an Uber when the actor spotted four muggers attacking a Deliveroo cyclist on Marylebone High Street and jumped out of the vehicle, the Sun reported. According to witnesses, Cumberbatch jumped out of the vehicle, yelled at the attackers and then dragged them off the victim.

Uber driver Manuel Dias told The Sun that “the cyclist was lucky, Benedict’s a superhero.”

Dias, who also got out of the vehicle to help, called the incident surreal.

“Here was Sherlock Holmes fighting off four attackers just round the corner from Baker Street," Dias told the Sun. "I had hold of one lad and Benedict another. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He was very brave.

“Benedict was courageous, brave and selfless. If he hadn’t stepped in the cyclist could have been seriously injured.”

Deliveroo thanked Cumberbatch in a tweet Saturday.

"Deliveroo riders are heroes -- their safety is our priority and any violence against them is totally unacceptable," the delivery company said.

Cox Media Group