Kirsty Gallacher assaulted on central London pavement

Presenter Kirsty Gallacher said she was physically assaulted by a stranger on a central London pavement on Tuesday evening, leaving her bruised and shaken. Gallacher, a former Sky Sports presenter who now hosts a radio show, said the attack occurred at about 7pm as she walked from work to her car in a well lit area. She posted an account of the incident on social media on Wednesday.

In the video post she described noticing a man dressed in black approaching her on the pavement. “He brushed past me, he turned around and he kicked me like he was kicking a football,” she said. The man then ran off, she added, and she remains surprised and frightened by the unprovoked assault. Gallacher said she sustained bruises and that bystanders came to her aid.

Gallacher criticised the response of a security guard she said was manning a nearby doorway, calling the person’s inaction “hugely disappointing.” She thanked the women who intervened and urged followers to be vigilant, saying the streets were lit and there were people around when the incident happened. She did not say in her post whether she had reported the attack to police.

Her account has attracted public messages of support from...