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| BBC Radio 4's Eddie Mair reveals 'shame' over assault | BBC Radio 4's Eddie Mair reveals 'shame' over assault |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| BBC Radio 4 presenter Eddie Mair has revealed how he was attacked by a gang on a bus in London. | BBC Radio 4 presenter Eddie Mair has revealed how he was attacked by a gang on a bus in London. |
| Mr Mair said he was too ashamed to report the incident, which happened in December, to police. | Mr Mair said he was too ashamed to report the incident, which happened in December, to police. |
| The 52-year-old was left with bruising to his head after being struck by one of a group of three youths riding bikes. | The 52-year-old was left with bruising to his head after being struck by one of a group of three youths riding bikes. |
| Writing in the Sunday Times, he said: "I felt I may have been in some way responsible for what happened." | Writing in the Sunday Times, he said: "I felt I may have been in some way responsible for what happened." |
| Mr Mair, who presents the PM programme, expressed sympathy for comedian Michael McIntryre, who was robbed by two men on a moped who smashed his car windows. | Mr Mair, who presents the PM programme, expressed sympathy for comedian Michael McIntryre, who was robbed by two men on a moped who smashed his car windows. |
| His own attack took place as he was returning home from dinner with friends in London. | His own attack took place as he was returning home from dinner with friends in London. |
| A gang of youths circled him on their bikes as he walked to a bus stop, with one lifting his front wheel close to the presenter's face. | A gang of youths circled him on their bikes as he walked to a bus stop, with one lifting his front wheel close to the presenter's face. |
| Told no one | Told no one |
| Mr Mair said he tried to film their intimidating behaviour, but their faces were hidden by their hoodies. | Mr Mair said he tried to film their intimidating behaviour, but their faces were hidden by their hoodies. |
| As he stepped onto the bus, one of them struck him on the side of the head, leaving a large bruise above his right ear. | |
| Passengers helped and offered to call the police, he said, although the driver offered no help - but "I just wanted to get home". | |
| "I told no one, least of all the police. Not my family or friends. Not work colleagues. I felt shame. I felt I may have been in some way responsible for what happened," he said, adding that he wondered if his video recording had goaded them. | "I told no one, least of all the police. Not my family or friends. Not work colleagues. I felt shame. I felt I may have been in some way responsible for what happened," he said, adding that he wondered if his video recording had goaded them. |
| "For weeks, every time the local paper reported an assault, I believed that I had contributed to it. More shame," he said. | "For weeks, every time the local paper reported an assault, I believed that I had contributed to it. More shame," he said. |
| He eventually reported the assault before he left for a trip to South America, but officers were unable to identify the attackers from his video. | He eventually reported the assault before he left for a trip to South America, but officers were unable to identify the attackers from his video. |
| Police told him that reporting the crime earlier may have helped, because CCTV imagery would have been available for up to a month. | Police told him that reporting the crime earlier may have helped, because CCTV imagery would have been available for up to a month. |
| Mr Mair, who observed ironically that being affected by crime made him "on trend" for once, also had his bag stolen in a mugging in South America. | Mr Mair, who observed ironically that being affected by crime made him "on trend" for once, also had his bag stolen in a mugging in South America. |