PAW PATROL
Top-flight stars hire guard dogs after burglaries
Premier League stars are employing house sitters to guard their properties and spending thousands on guard dogs after being targeted by criminals.
Security staff are staying overnight at some footballers’ luxury homes and one player has even built a maisonette on the grounds of his estate so guards can be on hand 24 hours a day.
a number of players have turned to a firm which provides ‘protection dogs’ including alsatians and rottweilers.
Sportsmail knows of multiple incidents involving players predominantly based in the North West. One called in security guards after seeing chilling footage on his CCTV of a group wearing balaclavas in his garden in the early hours.
Private security firms carrying out hourly patrols in vans are a regular sight in well-to- do parts of Cheshire, home to players from both manchester clubs.
Thieves often target those away on Champions League duty and raids on the houses of Premier League players have escalated in recent years.
Panic rooms are now commonplace in new-builds for footballers. The bunkers feature shutters and thick concrete walls to prevent entry, with a button to summon help. But bringing security staff on to properties and taking on protection dogs are new developments.
united and england defender Phil Jones (below) provides a testimony on the website of a Leicestershire-based provider of protection dogs and a source said: ‘Players have been wising up to the threat.
‘While a lot of them live in nice parts of the North West, they are easily reachable from manchester and Liverpool and often close to main routes, so those looking to take cars can make a quick getaway. The police are stretched and, to be honest, we can’t rely on them, so we use alternative measures.’ a greater manchester Police spokesman said: ‘We’re happy to work with residents and security organisations and would encourage any information that may assist prosecutions or investigations is shared with us to help bring offenders to justice.’