Former Apprentice contestant Elle Stevenson left almost blind in one eye after brutal mugging on a night out ‘It is horrific if these men can beat a woman like this – innocent girls on a night out – and get away with it’

Former Apprentice contestant Elle Stevenson has been left nearly blind in one eye and needing plastic surgery for smashed cheekbones after she was brutally mugged while enjoying a night out.

The 25-year-old was beaten and punched in the face after a thief tried to snatch her phone near London’s Charing Cross station.

Graphic photos were taken in the hospital just minutes after the attack show Stevenson bleeding and in need of surgery following the assault.

The i newsletter latest news and analysis Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription.

Brutally mugged

The star, from Windsor, appeared on the 11th series of The Apprentice.

She was appalled after finding out that police officers did not have the resources to trawl through an hour’s worth of footage and she thinks, therefore, that it is unlikely her attacker would ever be caught.

Doctors at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London have warned that she should not be left alone because of the head injury she suffered, so friends and family are keeping a 24-hour watch over her.

She cannot drive because she can’t see out of her left eye, leaving her feeling like a child.

“My memory has been affected and I am getting confused, which has left me feeling really vulnerable. My dad is having to drive me everywhere and I feel like a 12-year-old.

Feeling like a child

Speaking of the incident, she said: “It is horrific. If these men can beat a woman like this – innocent girls on a night out – and get away with it.

She said: “I feel very let down by the police. I work really hard, pay my taxes and for my whole family it’s just work work work.

“I’m not blaming an individual or the police per se but this has really affected my life and these guys are out there and there is a chance it was on CCTV, but no-one has the time to look at the CCTV even though I could pinpoint the time it happened.”

She said she was considering making a complaint to the Metropolitan police after consulting with Victim Support.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police, when asked about why no action was being taken to view CCTV footage, said: “The CCTV cameras in McDonalds did not cover the area where the offences took place.

“Since the two women were unable to provide a time at which they entered McDonalds – and they stated that they would not be able to identify the suspects if they saw them again – officers spoke with the victim and explained that there was insufficient likelihood of suspects being identified to warrant analysis of around 90 minutes of CCTV footage from McDonalds.”

Take a look at i‘s new product review section, ibuys, where you can find expert advice on everything from Christmas gifts to kitchen appliances.