‘I just sprinted’: Harry Styles describes running into the road to escape muggers with knives

Singer revealed how he looked like a ‘mad man’ as he tried to seek help from passing drivers

Harry Styles has revealed how he managed to escape from a group of men robbing him at knifepoint.

The singer was ambushed in Hampstead, London, on Valentine’s Day last month, and was forced to hand over the cash he had on him. He escaped unharmed and performed at the Brits two days later.

Now, the former One Direction star has explained how, to avoid giving the robbers his phone, he ran into the road and tried to seek help from passing cars.

Styles told The Howard Stern radio show that a group had approached him and asked if he wanted to buy cannabis. When Styles declined, they asked him: “What have you got on you?” and told him to “stop f***ing around” when he claimed he had nothing to give them.

After he handed the attackers some cash, Styles explained they tried to steal his phone and force him to unlock it. “The guy’s like, 'Unlock your phone,'” he said, “and the other one pulls his shirt up and he’s got a knife sticking in his pants, and I was like, 'S***.'”

He added: “There’s a little pond behind them and I thought I’d throw it in the pond and be like, 'Neither of us can have it,' and then I thought I didn’t want to p*** them off.

“Two cars were coming and I felt an opportunity to sprint and run and I just run into the road and try to stop a car… obviously a mad man runs into the road, you won’t let them into your car, so they don’t let me in.

“I try and get in another car, they don’t let me in… I just turned and ran back to the little village area where I live.”

Styles added he had difficulty running because he was wearing corduroy flares.

“I just sprinted but usually when I’m out walking I’m wearing running stuff,” he said. “This was the one time I was like wearing corduroy flares and shoes. I was like, I’m going to have to f***ing sprint all the way up this hill.”

Styles recently unveiled the music video for his song “Falling”, which appeared on his second solo album, Fine Lines, released in December.