Two young women suspected of shoplifting tried to flee by driving through a boom security checkpoint‚ puncturing the tyres of the car they were in‚ at Clearwater Mall‚ Roodepoort.

They were apprehended by security at about midday on Sunday.

Cellphone video footage recorded by an eyewitness is rapidly spreading on social media. "They tried to cut in front of my mom and then we realised that they were stealing. And then they just went over the spikes and over the boom‚" she said on the recording‚ inbetween asking people to call the police.

The footage also shows the one woman claiming she does not know her passenger‚ even asking her what she had done to be chased by security‚ until it is pointed out to her that she was the driver!

They were escorted away by security.

Contacted for comment‚ police said a case had not yet been opened while a mall spokesperson said comment would only be forthcoming after management returned to work on Monday.