➤ Wise-cracking Sallon shimmies back onto London’s party scene

A frock to shock: nightlife entrepreneur Philip Sallon adds a diamante sparkle to Alice Shaw’s birthday dinner. Photograph by Alice

❚ LOOK WHO’S OUT ON THE TOWN! Here’s the first picture of the flamboyant Philip Sallon — a supernova in London’s nightlife firmament— since his three-week stay in hospital following a horrendous assault two months ago which left him unconscious on the pavement at Piccadilly Circus. He is pictured at the Chelsea restaurant Mare Moto where his close friend Alice Shaw was celebrating her birthday with a dinner last week. Alice reports: “He’s still treading carefully… Considering what he’s been through, he’s making remarkable progress. Philip suffered quite a major trauma, so it will be some time before he recovers fully.”

In that snazzy diamanté party frock (on the exclusive Primark label complete with an off-the-shoulder McDonald’s name badge), the veteran host of the 80s Mud club looks as sharp as rhinestone. On Tuesday Rusty Egan bumped into him at the London Club and Bar Awards where, he says, Sallon “cracked at least 10 cheesy jokes — so I think he’s back!”

In the early hours of April 2 Sallon was thrown to the ground in a “martial arts move” outside Ripley’s Believe It or Not exhibition and had his skull fractured by a young thug. Alice and friends started campaigning to find Sallon’s assailant by setting up the Facebook page, Supporting Philip Sallon. Then two weeks after the attack they staged a Soho walkabout at the same time of night and this resulted in a witness giving a “very detailed description” of the suspect, said Detective Chief Inspector Mick Forteath of the Metropolitan Police. They are looking for a man aged about 20 who is approximately 6ft (1.8m) tall with an athletic build. He has broad shoulders and short black hair, and was wearing a tight, short-sleeved T-shirt which may be blue or light coloured, as well as blue jeans and black trainers.

A fortnight after Sallon’s attack: campaigners led here by composer Benjamin Till (centre) gather at Piccadilly Circus before seeking witnesses during a Soho walkabout. Photograph by Michael Peacock

After a brief conversation by the traffic lights outside Ripley’s, this man attacked Philip Sallon who was later found unconscious on the opposite side of Shaftesbury Avenue outside the exhibition. The suspect had made off up Coventry Street towards Leicester Square. Today, however, the Met said no arrests have been made in connection with this incident. Mick Forteath still urges anyone who is reluctant to contact the police to do so.

Sallon says he remembers little of the attack. “It was a severe blow to the head. From leaving home I remember nothing. It could have been some stranger who lashes out and just hates queers. But I also can’t rule out other possibilities.”

❏ If you have information about Philip Sallon’s assault on Saturday April 2 at about 3:15am, contact Westminster Serious Violence Team on 0207 321 9315, ref 65 1803/11, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

UPDATE JUNE 17: Hahahahahaha. Here’s the latest photo via Boy George’s TwitPics. Philip Sallon back on form — upholstered as a Regency armchair. You can’t convince us that little knock on the head in April has done him any harm at all. Hahahaha.

➢ View video of Philip Sallon being his usual self

FRONT PAGE