Celebrity antiques dealer Ian Towning reveals injuries after being attacked in store by two men with hammers

Celebrity antiques dealer Ian Towning has revealed the extent of his injuries after being attacked in his west London store by two men with hammers. The 76 year-old thanked his fans for their support on his Instagram and said that “As a follow up, one of the robbers/attackers let his mask slip on the way out. Here you can see the footage as they leave the arcade. Please scroll to see photos of the injuries sustained by Mark and myself.”

Ian Towning has been flooded with comments after the attack. One fan said “Unbelievably cruel that you and your security guard were subjected to a horrific attack. I hope they are caught and suitably punished,” whilst another fan commented that “Gosh I’m horrified to think what you must have gone through. So sorry to read this dreadful news this morning. Hope you are OK.”

The incident happened in Ian Towning’s shop which is Bourbon Hanby Antiques Arcade, located just off the King's Road in London’s Chelsea. Two attackers targeted the shop last Tuesday and stole thousands of pounds worth of jewellery as well as damaging the property inside. 

Ian Towning, who has appeared on ITV’s Dickinson's Real Deal and Channel 4’s Posh Pawn opened his first antiques store in 1976, it was then located at the Chelsea Antiques Market. In 1997, he opened the Bourbon Hanby Arcade shop. 

Two days ago on his Instagram, Ian Towning posted the following message. He said that “I know many of you have seen the footage released by the Mail Online of the brutal attack and robbery we faced at the Bourbon Hanby Arcade. I appreciate every one of you who has reached out to see how we are doing and to pass on your best wishes. I am in incredible pain and I am sure you can appreciate that I need a bit of time and space. I find it very difficult to talk about the incident which saw myself and my security guard seriously injured. Thank you for your kindness and consideration at this very difficult time. With love and gratitude, Ian.”

According to Sky News, “The store was also robbed in 2008, when three men with sledgehammers and a gun left Mr Towning badly injured.”