My grandson was robbed by knife-wielding mugger, says McCartney

One of Sir Paul McCartney’s grandchildren was recently robbed at knifepoint, he has revealed.

The 77-year- old said that he was also mugged as a child and voiced his concerns over the country’s rising knife crime rates, calling the current climate ‘scary’.

‘In London, one of my older grandkids was mugged and got his phone taken. He was saying the worst thing was that he should have just thumped the guy; he came back and felt a coward.

‘I said, “no, no, no, no! The guy had a knife and you don’t know, the guy might be able to use that knife”. So, it is scary these days.’

Speaking of his own ordeal, he told The Times: ‘ That takes me back to my childhood when I was mugged in Liverpool, so I am able to talk to [my grandson about it].

‘It was four guys and they nicked my watch. I was of a similar age. I just happened to be on my own, bigger kids came along and it was the same feeling.’

He called it ‘the worst thing’ and added that he had thought at the time: ‘I have got to learn karate and be a black belt, and then I’ll get them.’

Sir Paul, pictured, has eight grandchildren, aged between seven and 20, and said that being a grandparent is a lot easier than being a parent because he is ‘less responsible’ and can ‘spoil the kids’.

But he was careful that his own children, who include photographer Mary, 50, and fashion designer Stella, 47, were not ‘ spoilt’ and had their ‘ feet on the ground’.

When asked if he thought that young people today face greater dangers than he did, he said: ‘each generation has their own set of dangers so you do your best, and hopefully come through it, and show them kindness and love.’