The robbery and assault of veteran broadcaster Selina Scott by an organised gang shows London has become a 'crime-ridden cesspit', a policing expert said today.
Ex-New Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley said the force was now so stretched in the West End that private security companies were being deployed to help.
He condemned the 'epidemic of crime' in London from pickpocketing to violence and fare evasion to robbery, adding that it was 'driving people away' from the capital.
Mr Bleksley, known for Channel 4 reality show Hunted, told MailOnline that the 'once iconic' city was 'absolutely plagued' by crime and urged visitors to avoid getting their phones out in public and leave any expensive watches or handbags at home.
He recently visited Krakow, Milan, Rome and Naples - known for its Camorra mafia and criminal underworld - and felt far safer in all four cities compared to London.
