Gone Fishing star Paul Whitehouse, 68, fights off a mugger at an Islington cashpoint while buying medicine for his wife

The thief grabbed his bank card at the cashpoint behind the Sainsbury's Local on Essex Road on Friday night, but Whitehouse fought back and the 'perp' fled with nothing. Dr Mine Conkbayir, his wife, disclosed the incident on Instagram, explaining that he had rushed out after she had an adverse reaction to her treatment. 'But that's not the point, is it,' she wrote. She called on everyone to be 'super vigilant out there'.

Whitehouse was still 'frustrated' the following day, after taking their daughter to football.

Fellow comedian Dawn French described the Islington attack as 'utterly not okay'.

The Fast Show star is set to play Argus Filch in HBO's Harry Potter series.