HAMILTON, Bermuda, April 22, CMC – British diplomat George Fergusson, who is due to be sworn in as Bermuda’s new Governor next month, has been seriously injured during a mugging in London that left him partially blinded, media here reported.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the British foreign ministry which also oversees UK territories, said doctors were unable to save the sight in Fergusson’s left eye after he underwent surgery on Saturday.

Metropolitan Police officers issued an appeal for information after Fergusson, 56, was attacked and robbed of a small amount of cash on Friday night while walking in Margravine Cemetery and Park in Hammersmith, west London.

A police spokesman said: “The victim made his own way to hospital. He had suffered facial injuries, including a serious injury which threatens the sight in his left eye. He remains in hospital.”

Fergusson is due to succeed Sir Richard Gozney as Governor on May 1.

It was not immediately clear whether the handover would be delayed or if another replacement would be chosen.

The governor acts as the Queen’s representative in Bermuda, the most populous of Britain’s remaining possessions.

Fergusson previously served as Governor of the Pitcairn Islands, as well as High Commissioner to New Zealand and Samoa.

No arrests have yet been made over the mugging. The suspect is a black man who was wearing a hooded top and dark glasses.

Speaking in January after he was announced as Sir Richard’s successor, Fergusson said: “I am delighted to be appointed as Governor. I am an admirer of Bermuda’s great combination of sophisticated business and well-preserved history.

“And I look forward to working with the people of Bermuda and their representatives to play my part in maintaining Bermuda’s high reputation as one of the best places to live, visit and do business.”