- Horrific images capture dispute between couple at Mayfair restaurant
- Millionaire art collector, 70, has his hand around his wife's throat
- Twitter users condemn pictures as 'horrifying' and 'heartbreaking'
- Couple have not yet commented on the shocking photos
- Both left their multi-million pound London home separately this morning
Nigella Lawson has left her marital home with a suitcase just hours after shocking pictures emerged of the TV chef apparently being choked by her husband millionaire Charles Saatchi during a row in a restaurant.
The 53-year-old mother of two looked anxious as she dashed into a waiting taxi with her teenager son - Mr Saatchi had left the multi-million pound London home 90 minutes before.
The alarming photos appear to show the couple embroiled in a major dispute as they sit outside Scott's in Mayfair, central London.
Alarming: Shocking pictures have emerged of Nigella Lawson, right, apparently being choked by her husband millionaire Charles Saatchi, left, during a row in a restaurant. This morning the couple both remained tight-lipped as they left their multi-million pound London home, pictured, separately
Anxious: Nigella Lawson looked stressed as she climbed into a waiting taxi with her teenage son Bruno. The photos appear to show the couple embroiled in a major dispute as they sit outside Scott's in Mayfair
On four occasions, Mr Saatchi, 70, appears to reach over and grab TV chef Nigella around the throat.
The food writer looked terrified throughout the ordeal - which has sparked outrage on the internet - and left the restaurant in floods of tears.
Although other diners were present during the incident, and one person even turned around, no-one intervened.
'It was utterly shocking to watch,' one onlooker told the Sunday People. 'I have no doubt she was scared. It was horrific, really.'
Charles Saatchi arriving at his Chelsea Flat this morning. He re-emerged a short time later, leaving their mansion off the King's Road in Chelsea, west London, shortly after 10am
Leaving home: On four occasions, Mr Saatchi, 70, appears to reach over and grab TV chef Nigella around the throat
It is understood to have occurred towards the end of their meal at the famous seafood restaurant, a favourite haunt of celebrities including Pippa Middleton, Jeremy Clarkson and Simon Cowell.
Art collector Mr Saatchi is pictured using first his left hand, then both, to grab his wife around the neck as she looks extremely upset.
Twice she tried to move back in apparent fear from her husband.
The incident could clearly be seen by other customers and passers-by in the busy London street - the famous couple always choose an outside table so that he can smoke copious cigarettes.
Onlookers claimed Miss Lawson dabbed her eyes on a napkin after the incident and hurriedly downed her glass of red wine.
Despite Mr Saatchi earlier 'tweaking' her nose, Miss Lawson later kisses him on the cheek.
Shock: The couple, pictured above during a visit to Scott's in April this year, where the alleged attack took place
Fiery: In the past Miss Lawson has admitted she and Saatchi have their fiery moments. 'I'll go quiet when he explodes, and then I am a nest of horrible festeringness.'
Dining out: The couple frequently dine out in the capital as seen in a photo taken earlier this year. The famous couple always choose an outside table at Scott's so the art collector can smoke copious cigarettes
Disturbing: The pictures, published in the Sunday People, appear to show Mr Saatchi grabbing Nigella by the throat
A final shot shows her sobbing as she bites her lip and walks towards the awaiting car after her husband left her at the table.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police told Mail Online that Miss Lawson had not made a complaint but added: 'Officers from the Community Safety Unit at Westminster are aware of the Sunday People article. Enquires are in hand to establish the facts of the incident.'
Last night, the pictures prompted a storm of condemnation on Twitter.
One user tweeted: 'How arrogant of Charles Saatchi to abuse his wife in a public place and get away with it. Shame on all the diners near them.'
Another said: 'Absolutely horrified at the Nigella Lawson story. Heartbreaking with shocking images.'
'Horrifying picture of Nigella Lawson. Her husband is ridiculous. It's so very sad and domestic abuse isn't a joke,' said another.
This morning the couple both remained tight-lipped as they left their multi-million pound London home separately.
Mr Saatchi, looked stoney-faced, left their mansion off the King's Road in Chelsea, west London, shortly after 10am.
Wearing a black suit but no tie, got into a waiting black cab and sped away.
Around 90 minutes Miss Lawson's son, Bruno, 17, from her first marriage to journalist John Diamond, emerged from the house and put a suitcase in to another waiting black cab before going back inside.
A few moments later Miss Lawson dressed all in black, came out of the house accompanied by Bruno.
Fame: Miss Lawson studied at Oxford University and is estimated to have earned £15million from her cookery career
Fame: Famous for her flirty cooking shows, the mother-of-two rose to fame in 1999 when she began hosting Nigella Bites on Channel 4.
She looked straight ahead and got into the cab with Bruno, ignoring all questions from journalists, before being driven away - it is unclear where she was going.
In the past Miss Lawson has admitted she and Saatchi have their fiery moments. 'I'll go quiet when he explodes, and then I am a nest of horrible festeringness.'
Miss Lawson did not mention the incident on her Twitter page - yesterday she posed a photo alongside the caption: 'Green tea and a toasted, buttered bagel! Yum.'
The couple are due to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary in September - they have both been married before.
Miss Lawson met her first husband, the late journalist John Diamond in 1986 when they both worked for the Sunday Times. She was deputy literary editor.
Tension: The television chef has previously been seen arguing with her husband in London
Tension: Miss Lawson looked angry as she spoke to Mr Saatchi at their home in Eaton Square a few years ago
Mr Diamond died in 2001 aged 41, from throat cancer - she had her two children with him, Cosima, now 19, and Bruno.
His death came during the filming of Nigella Bites and his last words to his wife were read to the funeral congregation by Nigella's brother, 'How proud I am of you and what you have become.'
Miss Lawson moved in with Mr Saatchi, whose fortune is estimated at £100 million, nine months after Mr Diamond's death - he was a close friend of her late husband. She says her children were the ones who wanted them to marry.
'Seeing people die young has made me realise you don't spend time moping. Some see me as a tragic heroine, and that's what makes me acceptable to them,' she said at the time.
'The idea that I might be happy is unforgivable. Well, I'm sorry, it's better to be happy.'
The family live together in Chelsea with Mr Saatchi's daughter from a previous marriage, Phoebe, 19.
First marriage: Miss Lawson married Mr Saatchi after her first husband journalist John Diamond died in 2001 aged 41, from throat cancer - she had her two children with him, Cosima, now 19, and Bruno, 17
Nigella says that she has a happy family life after finding love again with Charles Saatchi
The television cook is Mr Saatchi's third marriage - his second wife Kay Saatchi was granted a divorce on the grounds of his unreasonable behaviour and Miss Lawson was named as the ' other woman'.
Famous for her flirty cooking shows, the mother-of-two rose to fame in 1999 when she began hosting Nigella Bites on Channel 4.
Miss Lawson studied at Oxford University and is estimated to have earned £15million from her cookery career.
Born in Baghdad and educated in London, Mr Saatchi has become arguably Britain's most influential art collector - although is reclusive and does not attend even his own art shows.
Second marriage: Before marrying the famous chef Charles Saatchi was married to Kay Saatchi. Kay was granted a divorce on the grounds of his unreasonable behaviour
He founded the Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency in 1970, and has an estimated fortune of around £100million - he catapulted artist Tracey Emin to stardom by buying her notorious unmade bed.
Last year the art collector revealed that far from being possessive, he is proud of his wife's sex symbol status.
In his book, Be the Worst you can be: Life's too long for Patience & Virtue, Saatchi wrote: 'Who would want to be married to someone who nobody coveted?'
He has previously admitted that his wife's cooking 'is wasted on me,' and said 'women are all a little deranged, but why Nigella would wish to be with me is beyond human understanding.'
Miss Lawson revealed that she was physically abused by her mother when she was a child earlier this year.
A violent and depressive woman, Vanessa Salmon – who was married to Conservative politician Nigel Lawson, the former Chancellor – would lash out when her children made too much noise, Miss Lawson said.
Miss Lawson, who was one of four children, told FT Weekend: ‘I never thought I could please her.
‘She was funny but depressed and so sensitive to noise. The sound of a plastic bag being crinkled would send her deranged. She’d shout at all of us and say, “I’m going to hit you till you cry”, and so I never would cry. I still don’t.
‘It wasn’t a calculated thing; it was hot-blooded hitting, a thrashing out of things. Once she had to stop hitting Dominic [Nigella’s brother] as she hurt her hand.
She added: ‘It was like children of alcoholic parents who know right away when they’ve been drinking, we always would know in an instant if it was going to be bad.’
Miss Lawson's brother is the former Telegraph editor Dominic Lawson, she has a sister, Horatia, who lives in New York and her other sister, Thomasina, died in 1993.
There are two half-siblings from Nigel Lawson's second marriage: Tom and Emily.
Last night neither Charles Saatchi or Nigella Lawson responded to a request for comment
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