A celebrity antiques expert who was attacked in his west London store by two men with hammers has revealed the extent of his injuries, saying he was in “incredible pain”.
Ian Towning, 76, has appeared as an antiques expert on ITV‘s Dickinson’s Real Deal and Posh Pawn on Channel 4.
His shop, the Bourbon Hanby Antiques Arcade just off the King’s Road in Chelsea, was targeted last Tuesday by the two attackers who damaged property inside the store and stole thousands of pounds worth of jewellery.
Three people were treated in hospital after they sustained injuries during the robbery, the Metropolitan Police added.
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In an Instagram post, Mr Towning said he was in “incredible pain” after the robbery.
“I am sure you can appreciate that I need a bit of time and space. I find it very difficult to talk about the incident which saw myself and my security guard seriously injured. Thank you for your kindness and consideration at this very difficult time,” he wrote.
In a separate post, he published pictures of the aftermath of the attack, showing a large cut on his forehead and his bloodied face, chest and hand, as well as a bruised eye.
Mr Towning first opened his antiques store at the Chelsea Antiques Market in 1976 before opening the Bourbon Hanby Arcade in 1997.
The store was also robbed in 2008, when three men with sledgehammers and a gun left Mr Towning badly injured.
In a social media post in 2014, Mr Towning said he received a phone call from one of the men who had attacked him six years earlier.
Mr Towning wrote: “He said that he had changed, and that he was only 16 years old at the time, and that his life in prison (he served four of eight years) had made a new man of him, he was now married and settled with a job.
“He then asked me to forgive him for what he had done. I said that I had moved on, I had my jaw repaired and my teeth fixed and that life goes on and yes I did forgive him and I hold no malice towards him.”
