ITV legend, 74, 'traumatised' after being assaulted and robbed in daylight by London gang

Veteran broadcaster Selina Scott has revealed she was assaulted and robbed in a frightening daylight ambush in central London. The former ITV News at Ten presenter, 74, recounted being surrounded and attacked by a group of up to eight people as she exited a Waterstones near Piccadilly.

The assailants - described as wearing expensive sportswear and appearing East Asian - initially appeared to be ordinary passers-by before suddenly closing in. “I was right by a busy bus stop, although no one would have known what was going on,” she wrote in the Mail on Sunday. “It was slick, brief and clearly engineered to happen in the middle of a crowd.”

Scott said she was struck behind the knee, initially believing she'd been stabbed, and found herself boxed in. As she clung tightly to her designer backpack, another group rammed into her from the other side. “I was being attacked from both sides at the same time,” she said.

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Despite fighting back and holding onto the bag, the attackers managed to unzip it and flee with her purse, which contained cash, cards, and her driving licence. “I still feel shattered after what has happened. I can’t believe it happened to me,” she said.

The ordeal has left her physically bruised but emotionally shaken. “I’m mentally resilient and physically fit, but if they can attack me in such a brazen way they can attack anyone,” she said. “You’re left feeling not just traumatised, but stupid that you have somehow let it happen.”

Scott, who famously interviewed Donald Trump during her long career in journalism, expressed outrage over what she sees as a visible absence of law enforcement in the capital.

“I walked up and down some of London’s busiest central areas and didn’t see a single officer,” she said. “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.”

The Metropolitan Police responded to the incident by defending their presence in the area, stating:
“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.”

Scott said she was ultimately relieved the gang did not use a knife - but remains deeply rattled by the experience. “It was so swift and practised that it was clear it was a coordinated assault,” she said.

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