Posh’s fear: “I’m so scared of being alone”
Posh is worried about being left behind as David Beckham continues his move to Miami amid a history of kidnap plots and attempted break-ins
They’re planning to build an underground escape tunnel to ramp up security at their £6 million Cotswolds mansion, following two attempted break-ins in 2018 that had left them “shaken”.
And insiders tell Closer that the extreme move has been sparked by Posh, who is nervous about staying at their sprawling nine-bedroom country retreat alone when husband David Beckham moves to Miami – the home of his MLS soccer team Inter Miami – once the lockdown is lifted.
A source says, “Vic’s petrified at the thought of staying there without David. After discussions with their security team, they’ve decided to implement some militarystyle measures, insisting money is no object when it comes to their safety.
“While she loves the remoteness of their country pad, she hates being there alone and doesn’t want to have to avoid the home she calls her ‘sanctuary’ when David’s gone for months at a time.”
TERRIFIED
Posh, 46, and David, 45, have been self-isolating at the estate alongside their three youngest children, Romeo, 17, Cruz,
15, and eight-year-old Harper. Meanwhile, their eldest son Brooklyn, 21, has been in
New York with girlfriend Nicola Peltz, 25.
The couple were said to be “terrified” after a notorious gang with an alleged history of murder were suspected of carrying out raids on the home in November 2018. Following the ordeal, the pair – who reportedly installed a panic room at their £30m west London mansion – erected a “prison-style” razor wire fence around the property.
They are now reportedly planning an underground link between their home and a garage outbuilding – as well as a wine cellar – which would give them an escape route to their car.
Insiders recently told Closer that the fashion designer – whose reputation has been
dragged through the mud over recent weeks amid the furlough scandal and criticism over her pricey new beauty range – is keen to move back to the US with David, on the advice of her friend, Meghan Markle,
38, who quit royal life for LA earlier this year to escape the constant backlash.
But pals say that, although that’s still her long-term plan, the star – who lived in LA from 2007-2013 when David played for LA Galaxy – won’t be able to join him at their new £42 million luxury penthouse in the city any time soon.
The source says, “The boys are at a crucial time at school, with Cruz studying for his GCSEs and Romeo for his A-levels, so she doesn’t want to interfere with their education.
“While she understands David has to leave for work, she doesn’t want him to while she has all these fears. It doesn’t make it any easier.
“Now the lockdown’s starting to ease, she’s upset at the thought of this comforting bubble she’s been in the last few weeks, with David by her side 24/7, coming to an end.”
ANXIETY
In February, the mum of four stayed at her parents’ Essex home while David and Brooklyn were in the US – a move friends told Closer was prompted by her security fears.
The source says, “With the boys also at an age where they want to be out with their friends and with Brooklyn likely to stay in New York permanently, the idea of being home alone with Harper has been giving her a huge amount of anxiety. David’s assured her he’s taking it seriously, hence submitting planning permission for the new passageway.”
The former Spice Girl has been the victim of numerous kidnap plots and death threats since her time in the spotlight. In January 2000, she was forced to move to a secret location after police exposed a plot to kidnap her and a then 10-month-old Brooklyn for a £5 million ransom.
Following the terrifying ordeal, David – who was then England’s biggest football star, playing for Manchester United – vowed to overhaul their security, adding “The first role of a father and husband is to keep his family safe.”
Two months later, her fears were further magnified when a suspected assassin was thought to have broken into rehearsals for the Spice Girls’ BRIT awards performance, after a red laser light appeared on her chest.
In her 2001 autobiography Learning to Fly, she revealed she thought she’d been shot during their live performance, following months of death threats and receiving silver bullets with her name on them from a sick stalker. Describing the moment she realised the loud bangs on stage were in fact red balloons popping, she said,
“Tears of relief were pouring out of my eyes as I realised I wasn’t dead. I was so convinced I’d been shot I actually looked for bullet holes.”
Two years later, another kidnap plot was infiltrated by a tabloid newspaper, but the case was dropped when the witness was deemed unreliable.
PROTECTION
And insiders say Posh’s deeprooted anxieties – which were recently heightened even further after Tottenham player Dele Alli was robbed at knifepoint at his north London mansion – still haunt her.
The source adds, “Vic’s never escaped the past and feels those fears will never leave her. She’s petrified of history repeating itself, but David’s assured her he’ll take every precaution – even if it means doubling their security spend and having military-style protection – to ensure her physical and mental wellbeing. It’s helped put her mind at ease.”
By Daisy McLure
❛ DAVID’S ASSURED HER HE’LL TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION TO ENSURE HER WELLBEING ❜