21 June 2025, 23:40
Former newsreader and TV star Selina Scott has said she was “traumatised” by the assault on a busy London street.
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Getty
Veteran broadcaster Selina Scott said she was assaulted and robbed in broad daylight on London’s Piccadilly in a “coordinated attack” by an organised gang.
Ms Scott, 74, was leaving a branch of Waterstones on Tuesday afternoon on London’s bustling Piccadilly when she felt a “sudden blow” to her right knee, which she described as feeling as if she had been “stabbed.”
The force of the blow caused her to stumble and nearly fall.
Members of the gang, who appeared to be armed, then attempted to grab her backpack. Ms Scott kept hold of the backpack, but one of the thieves managed to unzip it and run off with her purse.
Ms Scott said she lost her bank cards, driving licence, and cash in the robbery. She said she has been left feeling “embarrassed and stupid.”
After taking shelter in Fortnum and Mason, the 74-year-old TV legend was forced to walk three miles home as thieves had stolen her cash and bank cards.
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The attack occurred near Waterstones on Piccadilly, one of London’s busiest streets.
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Google Street View
She said she was unable to find a police officer in to help her, despite searching “some of London’s busiest central areas.”
Ms Scott said the attack was carried out by “around seven or eight” smartly dressed men and women.
She described it as a “coordinated assault” and said the gang appeared to have practiced the attack, which was “slick, brief and clearly engineered to happen in the middle of a crowd.”
The veteran broadcaster, who co-hosted the UK’s first dedicated breakfast TV programme, did not require medical attention after the assault but suffered bruising to her leg.
Selina Scott was an icon of British breakfast TV.
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Alamy
“I am now only too relieved it wasn’t a knife they used,” she said.
The former ITV newsreader said she was “furious” at the lack of police presence to deter or capture the thieves, despite being told by officers that such incident were “rife.”
Ms Scott told The Mail on Sunday: “I still feel shattered after what has happened. I can’t believe it happened to me.”
“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.”
A Met Police spokesman 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.”