Gary Barlow's £6m country mansion 'raided while he films with Ant & Dec'
Gary Barlow's home was targeted while he was filming for the weekend with Take That for Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. The lead singer and his two bandmates Mark Owen, 52, and Howard Donald, 56, performed their 2007 number one hit Shine on ITV’s Saturday Night Takeaway final episode.
But while the star was away at work, a group of burglars allegedly broke into his £6 million-pound property. The Sun Newspaper reports that the thieves waited until it was dark before forcing entry into the property's front gate.
Gary was reportedly unaware of what had taken place at his home and was alerted by police the following day on April 8. It is not known what exactly may have been stolen from the property, or if Gary’s wife or their three kids were at home during the break-in.
Police were seen taking photos of the West Oxfordshire mansion as they investigated the incident. Neighbours spoke to the Sun about seeing his front gate being damaged following the burglary.
One said: “When I drove past I saw officers taking photos of the gates, which had been damaged. “They were left half open. A few days later the gates had been fixed.” Another neighbour said: “There have been other burglaries we’ve heard about in the area within the last year or so. There are a few big houses and Mr Barlow’s is one of them.”
A third said he was ‘devastated’ to hear what had happened to Gary and his family, calling the Take That star a “lovely neighbour.” Gary purchased the home for £2.3 million in 2007.
A police spokeswoman told the Sun: “We received reports of a burglary between 5.50pm on 7 April and 9am on 8 April. Officers are investigating the incident.” OK! contacted Gary Barlow for comment.
It comes following the news that Gary will host brand new travel series on ITV this autumn where the Take That icon will delve into the delicious world of food and wine in splendid South Africa.
As a wine connoisseur with his own range available in shops, the singer, 53, will visit vineyards and sample local cuisine in South Africa, to further explore his passion of food and wine - and share it with viewers.
ITV has commissioned a series of five episodes that will take Gary temporarily away from the stage and his bandmates to South Africa where he'll also see the famous landscapes and roaming wildlife.
