Jamie Oliver is a hero after he chased down a burglar in his neighbourhood

Jamie Oliver has had a very exciting week.

On Tuesday evening, the celebrity chef reportedly chased and tackled an "aggressive" burglar who tried to break into the home he shares with his wife and five children.

According to The Mirror, the 43-year-old caught the robber trying to break in before chasing him down the street and holding him down until police arrived.

A neighbour told the publication, "It was just a brave, selfless thing to do. Despite the clearly very hairy situation, Jamie was laughing and joking with the coppers saying they'd done a great job to arrive so quickly after the 999 call. Everyone is really thankful for his quick thinking and courage."

Another source said, "It was understandably very scary as Jamie was with the whole family in his house at the time. It was an instinctive reaction -- he was just trying to do the right thing."

The chef, his wife Jools Oliver, and their children Poppy, 16, Daisy, 14, Petal, 9, Buddy, 7, and River, 2, live in the $14.4 million, eight-bedroom mansion in Highgate, North London.

The source added that Jamie Oliver was alerted to the burglar "when he heard a massive commotion coming from his neighbour's house.

"He was set to investigate but before he knew it, he was face to face with the burglar himself as he tried to smash his way into his house as well. Jamie went absolutely mad and sprinted after the man down the street before catching up with him and pinning him down to the floor."

Police then arrived to arrest the man. A Scotland Yard spokesperson told The Mirror, "At 7.13pm on Tuesday, 4th of September, police were called to reports of an aggressive male attempting to gain entry to residential addresses in N6.

"The male was apprehended by members of the public and was ­subsequently detained by police.

"He was taken to a North London police station where he remains at this time. Officers from Central North Command Unit are investigating."

Jamie Oliver: Local hero!