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  "path": "/celebrity/bbc-breakfast-ben-thompson-london-violent-robbery-rolex",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-06T15:53:17.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Silent Witness fans issue complaint after 'unnecessary' feature 'SPOILS' series finale",
    "Romeo Beckham puts family feud aside as he joins parents with olive branch to brother despite row",
    "Cillian Murphy confirms once and for all if he's Voldemort in new HBO Harry Potter series",
    "View this post on Instagram",
    "A post shared by Ben Thompson (@benthompsontv)",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
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  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nBBC Breakfast presenter Ben Thompson has revealed he no longer feels safe in London after he was violently robbed of his £7,000 Rolex watch after being ambushed by a gang last March.\n\nThe 45-year-old television journalist and a companion were set upon by six men as they departed a Mayfair restaurant on March 11, 2025.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nMr Thompson's timepiece held particular sentimental value, having been given to him by his partner Andy Roche as a 40th birthday present.\n\nThe watch bore a custom engraving marking the occasion.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nDuring the assault outside Cecconi's restaurant in Burlington Gardens, the attackers seized Mr Thompson and forcibly tore the watch from his arm.\n\nThe violent theft has left the broadcaster with a permanent scar on his wrist where the Rolex was ripped away.\n\nThe attack has taken a significant psychological toll on the former Middle East correspondent, who detailed his ongoing struggles in a victim impact statement read to the court this week.\n\nMr Thompson revealed he has experienced flashbacks and persistent anxiety since the robbery nearly a year ago.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\"I am nervous and jumpy when I hear a jogger or cyclist approaching behind me,\" he told the Old Bailey.\n\nThe presenter admitted the incident has fundamentally changed how he feels about the capital, stating he no longer considers himself safe on London's streets.\n\nMr Thompson was not the only victim that evening. His friend Roja Dove, 69, was also targeted by the gang and thrown to the ground during the confrontation.\n\nThe attackers made off with Dove's diamond-encrusted Patek Philippe watch, valued at approximately £150,000.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Silent Witness fans issue complaint after 'unnecessary' feature 'SPOILS' series finale\n  * Romeo Beckham puts family feud aside as he joins parents with olive branch to brother despite row\n  * Cillian Murphy confirms once and for all if he's Voldemort in new HBO Harry Potter series\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\"I have worked hard for everything I have. The watch was a present to myself when I reached the age of 65. The theft of the watch has meant all my hard work has been pointless,\" Mr Dove said in his statement.\n\nLike Mr Thompson, Mr Dove described feeling perpetually on edge when walking through the capital.\n\n\"I feel very unsafe in London, a city I have loved my entire life,\" he confirmed.\n\nCourt proceedings at the Old Bailey this week revealed the gang had employed a \"spotter\" to observe the two men leaving the restaurant before the attack was carried out.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n>  View this post on Instagram \n>\n> A post shared by Ben Thompson (@benthompsontv)\n\nCCTV footage subsequently identified two of the six assailants as Hocine Boulanouar, 26, and Danis Tom-Deter, 36.\n\nBoulanouar maintained his innocence throughout, claiming he was nowhere near the scene despite video evidence to the contrary.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHe was already serving a suspended six-month sentence when he participated in the robbery.\n\nMr Recorder Jeremy Benson handed Boulanouar a prison term of four years and three months. Tom-Deter, who admitted his involvement, received two years and nine months.\n\nPassing sentence, the judge remarked: \"This was clearly a very frightening experience on the streets of central London at night. They were set upon and each man was held while their watches were dragged off their wrists.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter **",
  "title": "BBC star 'no longer feels safe in London' after violent robbery in which Rolex was stolen"
}