A top Jewish businessman and former government adviser is “recovering well” after he was stabbed close to his heart by a man who was attempting to mug him in Kew Gardens, west London.

Eric Salama, the chief executive of global marketing firm Kantar, was attacked at around 8am last Sunday morning after returning to his vehicle from a nearby café, where the thug threatened him and asked him for cash.

Mr Salama then confronted the mugger but was stabbed.

The British Museum trustee and governor of London’s Birkbeck College managed to crawl back to the café for help, and was then treated by paramedics. 

He was taken to hospital in a stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, nearby shop owner Fasink Nizri said: “It happened in a matter of minutes - two minutes - I saw blood, there was screaming. Eric is a decent man and has no problems with anybody.

“He was stabbed just near his heart, it was very bad - the knife was enormous - he was hit so hard that the knife bent.

“Our staff managed to stem the bleeding, then we called his son and an ambulance. It was terrible, terrible.”

Birkbeck College also tweeted they were “extremely upset” to learn of the attack adding: “Eric has been a passionate supporter and governor of the college for a number of years and we would like to wish him a speedy recovery. Our thoughts are with him and his family.”

Between 1984 and 1986,  Mr Salama worked as a researcher and speechwriter to the Labour Party Foreign Affairs Team in the House of Commons.

He has also made regular donations to Jewish causes, including one to the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, which allowed them to begin a new research project.

Police believe the suspect to be a black male wearing a dark hoodie and a snood at the time of last Sunday’s incident. 

Superintendent Rob Applegarth, from the Met's South West Command Unit, said additional patrols would be conducted in the area in response to community concern. 

“Although this happened fairly early in the morning, we know people would have been up and about and in the area at the time,” he said.

"We are keen to establish the exact circumstances of this incident and would ask anyone with information to contact police immediately."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference CAD 1985/20Jan or tweet @MetCC. You can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 

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