A government adviser stabbed in an attempted car jacking says he 'should be fine' after suffering a punctured lung in the attack.

Eric Salama, 57, who is recovering 9 in 1 multi function vegetable cutter hospital after he was assaulted walking to a cafe in Kew Gardens, west London, said he 'feels lucky' and his injuries are 'nothing life threatening.'

The top business executive also made light of the attack when he said in a Twitter post that the worst thing was being identified as a Chelsea fan in reports.

Salama, the CEO of the global marketing firm KantarTNS, and who has served as an advisor to the government on e-commerce, was responding to a follower who offered him his 'thoughts and prayers'

Mr Salama wrote: 'I fell lucky.

'Punctured lung, but nothing life threatening and should be fine once they've cleared chest of blood and air.

'Most distressing aspect was being identified  as a Chelsea fan.'

Mr Salama was attacked outside Cafe Torelli, near Kew Gardens after buying his morning coffee.

He suffered a knife wound to his chest from an eight inch kitchen knife and staggered back to the cafe.

He was cradled by one of his sons, who is in his twenties, as kitchen workers used kithcen cloths to stem the flow of blood. 

A witness told that his son arrived in an Uber before paramedics.

He was heard telling his father: 'Daddy, don't worry, you're going to be OK. You're going to be alright.'

Mr Salama was taken to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, and he is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing surgery.  

Mr Salama  was also a speech writer and researcher for Labour's front bench on foreign affairs from 1984-1986.

Mr Salama is also a trustee of the British Museum and governor of Birbeck college in London.

A spokesman for Kantar said: 'We can confirm that Mr Salama was involved in the incident in Kew at the weekend. He is recovering well and our thoughts are with him and his family. We would like to request privacy for the family at this time.'

Mr Salama had been chatting with staff at Café Torrelli about the weekend's football just before 8am on Sunday before walking back to his car, a sporty Ford Focus RS.

When he returned to the car he found a thief sitting in the driver's seat and challenged him.

Mr Salama, who was described as 'a well educated, kind man', was knifed in the chest and had to crawl to the cafe to raise the alarm.

Shop owner Fasink Nizri, 39, said: 'It happened in a matter of minutes - two minutes - I saw blood, there was screaming. Eric is a decent man and has no problems with anybody.

'The person tried to steal his car; he asked 'what are you doing?' 'He was stabbed just near his heart, it was very bad - the knife was enormous - he was hit so hard that the knife it bent.

'Our staff managed to stem the bleeding, then we called his son and an ambulance, it was terrible, terrible.

'The man that did this was trying to steal his car, it was a car jacking - Eric was in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

Gino Gashi, 40, a barista at the cafe, said: 'I was talking with him just minutes before - he was talking about the Chelsea and Arsenal game.

'We've heard from the son, he called a few hours after the attack and confirmed that Eric is doing alright.

'He was not doing anything wrong, he is educated, a kind man - and works in the city - this was a random attack.'

A local father, 42, said that he heard screaming just before 8am - before 'five police cars arrived' and cordoned off the scene.

Another neighbour, in her sixties, said she saw a figure dressed in black running away from the scene at 7.55am.

She said: 'We've been forgotten, there are never any police on patrol - we've even considered getting a private police force here.'

Police removed the car and a knife found at the scene for forensic examination. No arrests have been made.

The stabbing in a usually quiet, leafy West London suburb has shocked Mr Salama's neighbours.

One said: 'It is usually so quiet around here and just sickening to know it is one of our neighbours. There have been car crimes before, but nothing like this.'

Shocked neighbours described Mr Salama as a 'private and hard working man' - who often leaves the country on business.

One, who asked not to be named, said he is 'so notable in his industry' adding: 'I haven't seen Eric in some time, but he is a hardworking man and he's always travelling somewhere.

'When I do see him, he's coming back from a business trip - he might say "hello" - but that's about it really. He comes and he goes, he will stop and say "hi". I usually see his black Ford parked outside.'  

The attack took place less than half a mile from Mr Salama's £1.8m home and close to the entrance of world famous Kew Gardens.

The area is usually busy with tourists visiting the famed gardens after exiting Kew Gardens underground station.

Officers from the South West Command Unit are investigating and believe the suspect to be a black male who was wearing a dark hoodie and a snood at the time of the incident.

They are keen to speak to anyone who may have been in the area at the time of the incident.

Superintendent Rob Applegarth, from the Met's South West Command Unit, said: 'We recognise the community concern caused by this attack and will be conducting additional patrols in the area as a result.

'Although this happened fairly early in the morning, we know people would have been up and about and in the area at the time.

'We are keen to establish the exact circumstances of this incident and would ask anyone with information to contact police immediately.'