MP's son attacked in queue of Leicester Square KFC by 'girl gang'

 
Tom Borwick in hospital after the assault
Picture of Tom Borwick in hospital after being asasaulted in Leicester Square. Collect supplied by mother Victoria Borwick Victoria Borwick victoria@borwick.com
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

The son of a prominent Tory MP and former deputy mayor was beaten up and left unconscious in a vicious attack by a “girl gang” in Leicester Square while security guards “looked on”.

Tom Borwick, 27, and a female friend were attacked in the queue of KFC in a clash with three women which spilled out onto the pavement.

His mother, newly elected Kensington MP Victoria Borwick, a former deputy mayor to Boris Johnson, today called for more “safe havens” or places of safety to be set up in London after she told how her son had been pushed out of the fast food restaurant by the security guards and was then allegedly refused help by bouncers at the nearby Grosvenor Casino.

Lady Borwick said: “What shook him most was that somewhere like KFC you don’t expect the security guards to push you out into the street. They didn’t want an altercation in their store.

“It’s not like this was at 2am in some dark alley, it’s a busy area. When he realised he was being attacked he ran to the casino next door, and again he thought he would be safe.

“The fact was that he couldn’t find a place of safety. This sort of thing happens all the time, I don’t want to make a fuss about this more than any other incident, it’s all part of street crime. But when you go out in London you want to feel safe and you want your children to be safe.”

She urged shops, bars and restaurants to sign up to the CitySafe Havens project which provide places of safety for people who feel they are in immediate danger.

Police want to trace these women after the attack

She added: “Londoners and tourists alike have got to feel there’s somewhere safe to go. “

She spoke out as Scotland Yard released CCTV images of two women suspected to be involved in the attack at 9.45pm on June 27.

Mr Borwick, a computer app writer, had been with a group of friends in the queue when they became involved in a row with three women who were complaining about a lack of space.

He told police one woman began jostling him and kicking his legs and then launched an unprovoked attack on him after he got his food.

One of the women started punching and shouting at him until he was held by security staff and pushed him onto the pavement as the attack continued.

Mr Borwick alleges that the security staff ignored his pleas for help while they watched him being punched.

He says he ran to the rope barrier at the Grosvenor Casino and called out “Help! I am being attacked.” After briefly being allowed to stay behind the barrier, he claims bouncers then moved him back onto the street where the group of women continued their attack.

Mr Borwick, who has had heart surgery in the past, suffered heart palpitations as he tried to protect a girlfriend but collapsed to the ground where he was kicked and punched in the head.

The pair were taken to hospital and treated for cuts and bruising before being released.

The three suspects were aged in their twenties or thirties. One was wearing black clothing, one a royal blue dress and the third a white dress.

A KFC spokesman said: "Our security guards stepped in to break-up the altercation in the restaurant, which unfortunately then continued outside.

"We are extremely sorry for what happened to Thomas and we have been in contact with him to explain how we are investigating the matter.

"Since the incident, we have met with the police along with our security partners and as a result we have updated our policy so that our security personnel are better equipped to deal with cases where there is deemed a risk to an individual outside the restaurant."

Grosvenor Casino were unavailable for a comment.

Anyone with information is asked to call 0207 321 7624 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in