Jewish pensioner attacked outside Charing Cross theatre

Police are investigating an alleged antisemitic assault on a pensioner as he left a play about the Holocaust.

Ronnie Phillips,72, was “slapped round the head and his kippah thrown to the ground” according to his wife Emma, who reported the incident to the police.

The alleged victim was leaving Wyndham Theatre, Charing Cross Road, where he had been attending a showing of Leopoldstadt on Thursday.

The Metropolitan Police told Jewish News officers attended “Charing Cross Road, WC2 shortly before 22:10hrs on Thursday 12 August to reports of a religiously-aggravated assault. Officers spoke to the victim. He was not injured during the incident. Enquiries are ongoing, no arrests. Anyone with information should call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting 7778/12Aug.”

A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust said: “This was a completely inexcusable antisemitic assault on a visibly Jewish man, and all the more distressing because it happened right outside a play about the Holocaust.

“We are pleased that CST’s 24/7 emergency control centre was able to assist and we call on anyone who witnessed the incident to contact the police or CST with information.”