Meyer recovering in hospital after suspected assault by teenagers at Victoria station

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The former UK ambassador to the US Sir Christopher Meyer is recovering in hospital after being attacked at Victoria station in London, with two teenagers arrested on suspicion of assault.

Meyer, 74, a former chairman of the Press Complaints Commission and a former director of communications for John Major, was left with heavily swollen eyes, a split lip and a suspected broken nose.

British Transport Police said officers were called to the station at 2.45pm on Wednesday after reports that a man in his 70s had been seriously assaulted.

A 16-year-old boy from Hillingdon, west London, and a 15-year-old girl from Croydon, south London, were arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm. They have been released under investigation.

His wife, Lady Meyer, told the Times: “He looks terrible. His left eye is like a golf ball and bleeding, the nose looks like it could be broken.

“I’m absolutely shocked by the level of the brutality. They really beat him. It’s appalling.”

She claimed her husband was attacked by a man and a woman who were later arrested.

A photo showed Meyer, who is being treated at St Mary’s hospital in Paddington, covered in blood.

Police said his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The children and families minister, Nadhim Zahawi, tweeted that the attack was “sick”.

Nadhim Zahawi (@nadhimzahawi) That is sick. Prayers for @SirSocks what are you doing about this @SadiqKhan

Henry Newman, the director of the Open Europe thinktank, was one of many people wishing Meyer a quick recovery.

Henry Newman (@HenryNewman) Gosh. How awful. Hope @SirSocks recovers quickly

The attack, a day before Donald Trump is due to visit the UK, is not believed to have been politically motivated, despite suggestions by the former Ukip leader Nigel Farage.

Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) Thoughts with former British ambassador to the US, Sir Christopher Meyer, who was brutally attacked yesterday. He has been doing a lot of media about how important the Trump visit is. Police say it looks like a robbery - we’ll see. https://t.co/XS1MyfoAFY

Lady Meyer said: “The police told me they believe that it is more likely that they might have wanted to rob him. Nothing was taken, but the transport police intervened quickly.”

In a column published by the Times on Thursday, Meyer looked ahead to Trump’s visit.

“If Trump smashes as much crockery in Brussels as he did at the G7 meeting in Canada last month, when he repudiated the final communique and insulted the Canadian prime minister, it will fall to Mrs May to try to pick up the pieces: to remind Trump that Nato is as important to North American security as it is to European, to pledge to work for a fairer sharing of the costs of common defence, a longstanding and justified American complaint, and to make clear that, while she has nothing against improved US-Russian relations, domination of Europe has been a strategic Russian goal since 1945.”