19 Jun 2014

Ian Wright’s family burgled at knifepoint

The ITV football commentator has flown home from Brazil after his wife and children were burgled at knifepoint in their North London home in the latest in a growing number of “away-day robberies”.

Four men armed with knives made their way into the former England player’s north-west London home and held his wife and children at knifepoint before making off with personal possessions.

The 50-year-old pundit, who has been working for ITV at the World Cup, has flown home to be with his family. On Wednesday night, hours after the robbery, he tweeted: “You won’t get away with it.”

The incident is the latest in a string of raids on the home of famous footballers in recent years. They have become so common in the last decade that they have even been dubbed “away-day” robberies.

Such is the scale of the problem that many clubs are taking precautions. Manchester United stepped up security arrangements in 2009 for their players following the attack on Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, just after he had flown to Europe for a Champions League match.

His then fiance, Hayley Grice, was grabbed by the hair and threatened with a knife before thieves made off with her £30,000 engagement ring and other jewellery.

Aston Villa employs security advisers who have been known to race to the players’ home on signs of a break-in while Everton are among the clubs whose players liaise frequently with the police.

Foreign players arriving in Britain are given particular support and advice over places to live and security measures, with the club’s player liaison officer on hand to offer extra support.

Robbery resurgence

Nonetheless there has been a spike of recent attacks which will raise concerns. Last month Wigan Athletic player James McArthur had his FA Cup winner’s medal and two wedding rings stolen in a burglary at his home. Swansea City head coach Garry Monk was burgled in November last year while he underwent knee surgery. The pair involved have since been jailed for a total of ten years.

The homes of England captain Steven Gerrard and then-Liverpool players Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt have also been raided.

In 2005, former Bolton defender Mark Fish was tied up and robbed after his home appeared on TV show Footballers’ Cribs. He was the second victim of raiders following an appearance on the MTV show after former England goalkeeper Ian Walker was also targeted.

The rich and famous will also be attractive targets. But security experts warn that a cavalier attitude to social media also compounds the problem.

In recent years technology experts have warned that uploading holiday snaps or issuing geo-located tweets pose further risks of advertising owners that are away from their home.

Security sharing

One poll conducted last year found around one in every 10 holidaymakers share details about the length and location of their trip before heading abroad, while around one in eight had returned from a holiday to discover they’d been burgled.

Katy Howell, of social media agency Immediate Future, told Channel 4 News that a “culture of sharing over security” was leaving thousands vulnerable. The agency’s research suggests that more than 230,000 public mentions of holidays that are booked, planned or taken have been made in the last 90 days with some “detailed accounts of timings and location”.

“In an era in which criminals can hack accounts and pinch passwords, it is even easier to find and track open conversations. Of course you should talk about your holidays and trips away. But do so in your private networks,” she said.

“Don’t give away dates, times, location and do not make it easy for criminals to find out who you are and when you’re away.”

A Scotland Yard source said that while footballers had been the target of such high-profile burglaries, members of the public should also exercise common sense while away from home.

The hope is that by getting the message out – ironically through Twitter and Facebook – the four youths that targeted Mr Wright’s home will be found.