Presenter Kirsty Gallacher says she was kicked by a man in central London

By Pol Allingham, PA

Presenter Kirsty Gallacher said she has been left bruised after she was kicked like a “football” by a stranger in central London.

A man dressed “all in black, covered up” walked towards her before physically assaulting her “in the middle of the street” at around 7pm on Tuesday, the former Sky Sports News presenter said.

She had been walking to her car on her way home from work when he approached – and the man “scarpered” after the attack, she told her social media followers.

Some girls came to help her but she was disappointed by a security guard manning a door nearby who “was absolutely useless”, the presenter on Global’s Gold Radio Drive added.

Gallacher appeared tearful during the Instagram video posted on Wednesday evening, saying: “Last night I was physically assaulted in the streets of central London, walking from work to my car – the walk I do most nights.

“The streets were lit, there we people around, I was walking on the pavement and I noticed this guy all in black covered up, just walking at me, and I’m always vigilant, and he was just walking towards me and I thought this is not right, so I moved out of the way.

“And then he brushed past me, he turned around and he kicked me – like he was kicking a football – he kicked me in the middle of a street at about seven o’clock last night in front of people, I turned around and he scarpered.

“I’m still shocked now and I have the bruises to prove it I’m afraid, I can’t quite believed what happened – I was not being provocative in any way, I was just going about my business.”

Gallacher said she is “very vigilant” as she walks – wearing a cross-body bag and “not holding anything out” – and “I couldn’t have done more to protect myself”.

I'm still shocked now and I have the bruises to prove it I'm afraid, I can't quite believed what happened.

“And still that happened to me, someone decided to give me a good kicking in the street,” she added.

She continued: “I just stood there and I just couldn’t actually believe that someone, a stranger, has just decided for whatever reason – whether he’s got a problem with women, whether he’s just an opportunist – he decided he did not like me and he just thought nah, I’ll give you the boot.”

The presenter warned:  “You always thing it’s not going to happen to me, and that was me.

“It’s really sad that that is what’s going on on the streets of London, and that is very real, and we all hear about it don’t we?

“We all hear like, oh yeah, you know, be careful don’t have your phone out and people being sadly mugged or worse – awful, awful things going on.”

She added: “This is happening all the time, and it’s not good, and its not alright, and I want you to really be careful and vigilant and look after yourselves, and look after those around you.”