Internet Connie mugged for her phone

The actress is the face of Internet service provider AOL

Actress Rachel Willis, who plays AOL's internet character Connie, was punched in the face by a robber who stole her mobile phone.

The assault happened in Tylers Street, Kennington, south London on Tuesday, just yards away from the 26-year-old's home.

The 5ft 11ins actress is well known for her role as Connie, the face of internet service provider AOL.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said there had been no arrests but they were hunting a suspect who they described as a black male.

Ms Willis shares a flat with her father, an MP

Speaking on her doorstep, Ms Willis said she had been traumatised by the attack.

She said: "It was an opportunist attack, I was stupidly walking with my phone talking to my mum and he came and snatched it out of my hand.

"It happened so quickly, your instant reaction is to hang on, which I did - but then he got violent.

"I'm sure he saw me as an easy target, it can happen to anyone.

"It's horrifying that you can't walk down the street and have a conversation," she said.

Living in fear

Her father Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis, who shares a flat with his daughter, said: "You hear daily of assaults and muggings but never think it will happen to someone in your own family."

One of Ms Willis' neighbours said local people were living in fear of a gang of teenage muggers.

The neighbour, who asked not to be named because of fears for her own safety, said: "I was mugged just before Christmas, it was exactly the same thing, two lads aged about 15 or 16.

"They just smack you in the face and run off with your phone, it's just standard."

As part of a multi-million pound campaign Ms Willis appears in more than a dozen television adverts wearing a digitally-enhanced dress emblazoned with AOL web pages.