Broadcaster Selina Scott has revealed she was viciously attacked and robbed by a gang in central London last week.
The former ITV News at Ten anchor, 74, said she was left “shattered and traumatised” after being targeted near a Waterstones bookshop in Piccadilly.
Scott said she was walking through the busy area when she was suddenly struck on the back of her right knee and feared she had been stabbed.
A group of seven or eight men and women, dressed in expensive sportswear and apparently of East Asian origin, had been walking ahead of her before turning around to hem her in.
“They tried to grab my designer backpack,” she said, adding that she held onto it tightly.
Another group then barged into her from behind. “I realised I was being attacked from both sides at the same time,” she said.
Although Scott managed to cling onto her bag, the gang eventually walked off laughing. It was only later that she discovered they had managed to unzip it and steal her purse, which contained her driving licence, bank cards, and cash.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, the veteran journalist said the events unfolded so quickly she believes it was a coordinated and practised assault.
“It was slick, brief and clearly engineered to happen in the middle of a crowd,” she said. “I was right by a busy bus stop, although no one would have known what was going on.”
Scott, a familiar face on British television since the 1980s who once famously interviewed Donald Trump, criticised the lack of police presence in the area.
She said she walked “up and down some of London’s busiest central areas” and did not see a single police officer.
“I still feel shattered after what has happened. I can’t believe it happened to me,” she wrote. “I’m mentally resilient and physically fit, but if they can attack me in such a brazen way they can attack anyone.
“You’re left feeling not just traumatised, but stupid that you have somehow let it happen. I’m also furious about the lack of police on our streets. No wonder the gang who set about me have a sense of impunity — they can do anything they want because they know no one will stop them.”
She suffered bruising to her leg during the ordeal but said she was relieved the attackers did not use a knife.
In response, the Metropolitan Police said: “While we understand that the victim was frustrated that she couldn’t see any police officers on the street, a significant number of officers patrol the West End every day — not just in uniform on foot, but also in plain clothes and in vehicles to have the best opportunity to identify and apprehend suspects.
“We would be happy to talk to the victim to better understand her concerns.”
