THE mother of Internet TV advert star Rachel Willis today relived the moment her daughter was viciously mugged - as the pair talked on the phone.

Heather Willis told how she heard her daughter cry out as she was attacked and robbed of her mobile phone.

Rachel, the model daughter of Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Phil Willis, was kicked and punched in the face as she walked home from work in Kennington, South London, on Tuesday night.

Her attacker stole her phone - as Rachel was talking to Heather - but the 26-year-old star of the AOL TV adverts held on to her handbag before the thief ran off into a nearby estate.

Yesterday, Mr Willis said Rachel was shocked and angry at the attack, which left her with bruising on her face and leg.

But Mrs Willis said Rachel - a former pupil at Manor School in York - was now philosophical about the assault and hoped the police would catch the person who subjected her to the horrific ordeal.

Mrs Willis said: "I knew there was something wrong. There was a cry (from Rachel). After that it was a case of waiting for her to ring back.

"It was a pretty horrible time. Apparently she went into a pub because she had no change in her purse to call me back. She wanted to let me know she was okay.

"She was shocked and shaken and was quite upset to start off with. As the evening wore on she became angry. She is quite philosophical about it now and is hoping the police will do something about it. They have an idea of who is behind it."

At the Metropolitan Police, a spokesman said police were searching for a youth aged about 17 in connection with the robbery.

She said: "He was among a group of youths in a car park in Tyers Street, Kennington.

"He leapt over a small wall to grab the victim's mobile phone, punching her in the face. She was not badly injured.

"The investigation is being led by Detective Sergeant Liz Baker, of our Clapham robbery squad."

The youth is said to be black and about 5ft 8in tall.

Updated: 11:25 Thursday, May 09, 2002