Ian Hislop “in a black taxi hit by a gunshot” near the Private Eye offices in Soho

Police have launched an investigation after a shot hit the rear window of a taxi in Soho reportedly carrying Private Eye editor Ian Hislop.

The driver of the taxi told Met Police he was stuck in traffic when a shot was fired at his vehicle, smashing the window, just after 10am on Tuesday.

The “Have I Got News For You” panellist, Mr Hislop, was sitting in the back seat of the taxi, the Guardian reports.

Both the driver and the veteran editor escaped uninjured.

The incident occurred on Dean Street, near the street’s junction with Oxford Street and close to the Private Eye office.

Roads around the scene were closed while police searched the area and officers would check all CCTV.

A Met Police spokesman said: “Police were called at 10.10am on Tuesday October 1 to a report of a discharge of a firearm on Dean Street, Westminster.

“The driver of a black London taxi reported that he was stuck in traffic when a shot was fired at his vehicle, hitting the window. There were no injuries. An investigation has been launched.”

Mr Hislop has been captain of the panel show Have I Got News For You with comedian Paul Merton for almost 30 years.

The 64-year-old has been editor of Private Eye since 1986 and the magazine is famous for its satire, cartoons and in-depth investigations into political scandals.

He took over the magazine when he was just 26 years old and has been called the “Dalai Lama of satire” in the past.

He is believed to have become one of the most frequently accused men in English legal history.

The Evening Standard has contacted the private investigator for comment.