Beckhams review security after kidnap threat

DAVID and Victoria Beckham are to review their security arrangements following an alleged kidnap plot.

Police were last night questioning nine people in connection with the plan to kidnap Mrs Beckham and her two young sons, three-year-old Brooklyn and baby Romeo.

In the statement issued from Manchester United's training ground yesterday, Mr Beckham said: "The first role of a father and husband is to keep his family safe. I would like to thank the police for their professionalism and support yesterday.

"From the moment they received their information they were unbelievably effective. Because of this incident we will be reviewing our security arrangements again with help from both the police and the security experts at Manchester United."

Workmen from a specialist security firm arrived at the Beckhams' luxury home in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, yesterday morning and were seen taking equipment into the house.

A van bearing the name Ace Security and Electrical arrived at the gates at around 10am and after about an hour it left the gatehouse and drove through the main security gates towards the couple's Georgian home.

Staff were also seen checking the mechanism which worked the electronic security gates at the end of the drive.

Officers arrested seven men and two women in connection with the alleged plot to demand a £5 million (7.8m) ransom for the safe return of Victoria Beckham, and over theft allegations.

Scotland Yard acted after receiving information from the News of the World about the activities of a criminal gang.

The gang was infiltrated by an undercover reporter who discovered a plot to kidnap the former Spice Girl.

The first arrests were made on Saturday in Baffin Way, Poplar, east London, where three men were arrested over allegations of theft and conspiracy to kidnap.

A residential premises in Morden, south London, was also searched and a further two people a man and a woman were arrested.

More arrests followed late on Saturday night and early yesterday, when a man and a woman were held in Croydon, south London, and two other people members were held in relation to allegations of theft.

Responding to the arrests, David Beckham's father Ted said: "David's first thoughts will be for Victoria but also for the safety of his two boys especially the new-born baby. I think there are some pretty sick people in this world. I'm just so relieved nothing terrible has happened."