Television broadcasting veteran Selina Scott has slammed the police after being violently assaulted and robbed by a gang in central London.
The 74-year-old former ITN News at Ten anchor was attacked by a group of seven or eight people on Piccadilly last week in broad daylight.
Scott revealed she was leaving a Waterstones bookshop when the coordinated assault took place near a busy bus stop.
The attack has left the broadcaster “shattered” and “traumatised”, she said.
The television icon, who also presented BBC’s Breakfast Time and interviewed figures including Donald Trump and King Charles during her career, was struck from behind and surrounded by the gang.
The assailants struck Scott behind her right knee, causing her to fear she had been stabbed. She found herself hemmed in by attackers wearing expensive sportswear.
“I was being attacked from both sides at the same time,” Scott recounted to the Mail on Sunday. Despite fighting back and clinging to her designer backpack, one thief managed to unzip it and snatch her purse.
The gang allegedly walked away laughing after stealing her driving licence, cards, and cash. Scott described the assault as “slick, brief and clearly engineered to happen in the middle of a crowd”.
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The incident left Scott feeling “battered, confused, and a little humiliated”, she said. With no cards to pay for transport, she had to walk three miles home to her Kensington flat.
“I still feel shattered after what has happened. I can’t believe it happened to me,” she said. “I’m mentally resilient and physically fit, but if they can attack me in such a brazen way, they can attack anyone.”
Scott expressed fury at the absence of visible policing.
“I walked up and down some of London’s busiest central areas and didn’t see a single officer. I’m also furious about the lack of police on our streets.”
The Metropolitan Police responded to Scott’s criticism, defending their presence in the area.
“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,” the Met stated.
The force added: “We would be happy to talk to the victim to better understand her concerns.”
Scott reported the crime using the Met’s online reporting system. Despite her ordeal, Scott expressed relief that her attackers were not carrying knives, though she suffered bruising to her leg from the assault.