Thieves break into football star’s £2.5m home – and steal his safe full of medals
CAPTURED on CCTV, these ghostly images show four sledgehammer-armed robbers stage a raid on a top footballer’s home. The masked gang stole an entire safe containing England star Reece James’ Champions League and Super Cup winners medals and Euro 2020 runners-up medal. Shocking footage that James, 21, uploaded on Instagram show four men enter through the gates of his £2.5million home in Cobham, Surrey, on Tuesday night. The men begin shining lights through the back windows before one smashes through a side door with a sledgehammer and they all enter.
The group can then be seen forcing the gates open as a fifth member backs a car up to the entrance.
With great effort, the gang heaves the large safe up the driveway towards the waiting vehicle before they make their getaway. According to the CCTV time stamps, the raid took less than five minutes.
The right-back footballer had been out of the house playing for his club
Chelsea when the thieves broke in. James, who has played eight times for England including at the Euro 2020 group draw with Scotland, wrote on social media: ‘A group of cowardly robbers broke into my house. These medals were won representing Chelsea and England – honours that can never be taken away from me whether or not I have the physical medals to prove it.’
James suggested Surrey Police were pursuing some ‘firm leads,’ adding: ‘We are closing in on them.’
A Surrey Police spokesman said it had yet to make any arrests. He added: ‘This investigation remains ongoing and is in the early stages.’
It is not known how much a Champions League medal is worth although former Liverpool defender Steve Finnan last year auctioned his 2005 award for between £10,000-£15,000.
James has been the victim of theft before when in December thugs broke into his car and stole presents he planned to give to give to impoverished children as part of his work with food charity The Felix Project.
‘Smashes door with a sledgehammer’