F1 boss Ecclestone kicked unconscious in London mugging

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone told how he had been knocked to the floor and kicked unconscious by a gang of muggers who attacked the diminutive 80-year-old in London, a newspaper reported Saturday.

The motor racing tycoon was robbed of his possessions and left with a badly bruised right eye following Wednesday's attack on him and his girlfriend Fabiana Flosi, 31, the Daily Express reported.

He was jumped as he got out of his car outside the headquarters of his business empire, Formula One Holdings.

"I'm feeling it now, bit painful, it was a good whacking," he told the paper.

"We had just got out of the car when suddenly these guys laid into me," said Ecclestone, who is five feet, four inches (1.63 metres) tall.

"They said nothing to me, just went on the attack so there was no chance to feel scared or react.

"When I was on the ground I could hear Fabiana screaming for help and I took a kick or two in the head and went unconscious."

A photograph in the paper showed Ecclestone sporting an badly swollen and bruised eye.

"It was completely stupid and uncalled for. If they had confronted me and asked for everything we had, I would have handed over everything in my pockets, my wallet, anything."

As for his girlfriend's earrings, "she could have taken them off in seconds but they ripped them off," he said.

He dismissed reports that the thugs escaped with 200,000 pounds (310,000 dollars, 235,000 euros) worth of jewellery.

"They took our watches and a few other bits and pieces but I never carry much money or expensive jewellery," said the commercial rights holder for motor racing's elite division.

"They won't be going far on what they took off us," he added.

London's Metropolitan Police said Ecclestone had been taken to hospital for treatment on a head injury. No arrests have been made so far.

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