'Watch out', urges mugged AOL girl

The actress who appears in the AOL adverts warned others today against becoming a "sitting duck" after she was mugged for her mobile phone.

Rachel Willis, 26, was punched to the ground in Kennington and suffered bruises to her face and legs in Tuesday's attack. Miss Willis, who plays Connie in the TV adverts for the internet company, said the fact that she was speaking to her mother at the time proved no protection.

"It's stupid to believe you are safer if you are talking to someone because you are not watching what is going on," she said. "You become a sitting duck. I am a young girl and it is quite horrifying that you can't do something as simple as walk down the street without being attacked. I was stupidly walking with my phone talking to my mum and he came and snatched it out of my hand.

"I was lucky I was not badly injured but I was traumatised. I was shaken up but luckily there was a pub which I ran into and some people walked me home."

Miss Willis, whose father is Lib-Dem MP Phil Willis, added: "I know a lot of people have a lot worse happen to them so I am just grateful for getting away relatively lightly.

"Your natural reaction is to hang on but then he got violent. It's not worth getting hurt. I can't understand why for the sake of selling a mobile for a few quid you would do something like that."