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Did Alex Curran unwittingly tip off masked raiders by bragging of her £10,000 watch for husband Gerrard?
Last updated at 10:22am on 14.12.07
Alex Curran: A friend says she is 'trying to be strong'
Hours after announcing that she had bought her husband a £10,000 Cartier watch for Christmas, the wife of England footballer Steven Gerrard was confronted by four masked burglars.
Alex Curran was at the couple's £3million mansion with a female friend, watching her husband play on TV, when they heard a noise.
They went to investigate and found themselves facing the raiders, who had taken thousands of pounds worth of jewellery and a woman's Rolex - but not the Cartier timepiece. They also took two sets of car keys.
It was not clear yesterday whether the gang, all wearing balaclavas, threatened 25-year-old Miss Curran, whose daughters Lilly Ella, three, and one-year-old Lexie were asleep upstairs.
The thieves are believed to have escaped through the front door of the Merseyside property as she called 999.
Gerrard, who was playing for Liverpool in Marseille at the time of Tuesday night's raid, is the sixth player from the club to be targeted in 18 months. Two Everton footballers were also hit.
Most of the burglaries happened when they were playing and the clubs are considering placing extra security on their homes at match times.
Outside his mansion yesterday, 27-year-old Gerrard said: "It's a police matter, but everyone's fine and that's the main thing. Alex is a bit shaken up, but she's OK. I'm just relieved nobody's been hurt."
Alex wrote in her shopping column for the Daily Mirror today: "It was absolutely terrifying. It was a horrendous experience and I'm still feeling shaken up but fortunately we are all OK and now it is on the hands of the police.
Steven Gerrard yesterday: 'I'm just relieved no-one's been hurt'
"Lilly and Lexie were my biggest concern. Thankfully, they are absolutely fine. They managed to sleep through the whole thing thank goodness.
"I'm still feeling too traumatised to talk about it much. I just don't want to relive it all.'
The house is only 500 yards from a police station and officers were quickly at the scene as a helicopter hovered overhead. They interviewed neighbours and examined footprints in the area.
The mansion is fronted by high wooden gates which can be opened only via an intercom.
However, sources close to the investigation revealed that the men smashed their way in through a door at the back of the property. It is thought they gained access via the rear garden, where Gerrard is having a new gym erected.
Officers are investigating the possibility that the raiders read articles which appeared in the Liverpool Echo and Closer magazine on Tuesday.
The newspaper article prowereclaimed: "Steven Gerrard will be waking up to a new Cartier watch on Christmas Day.' Few details were given of the burglars' haul, but detectives emerged from the mansion carrying a catalogue featuring luxury watches.
Neighbours described how minutes after the burglary Miss Curran's family, who live nearby, rushed to the house.
One said: "I looked out of the window and I could see a police helicopter shining a spotlight on Steven's garden.
Scroll down for more...
Mansion: The couple's £3 million home
Inside the Liverpool Captain's trophy room
Cartier watch: £10,000
"Then a few cars sped up and quite a few people got out. They pressing the intercom at the gates. One of them said, 'Alex don't worry, it's the family' before the gates opened."
A friend of the couple's family said: "The burglars have no respect. They trashed the place trying to find the valuables and then just waltzed out through the front gate. You can see their muddy footprints in the drive.
"Alex is heartbroken by what's happened. But she's trying to be strong for Steven and the kids."
In December last year a man from Tuebrook, Liverpool, was jailed for burglaries at the homes of Liverpool stars Jerzy Dudek, Peter Crouch and Daniel Agger, and Everton footballers Tony Hibbert and Andy Van der Meyde.
They involved property worth more than £600,000.
A spokesman for Liverpool FC said the club would be reviewing security for its players. "Our first concerns are for the welfare of Alex, Steven and the family.
"But we are aware that several members of our team have been targeted in this way. The club takes this extremely seriously and we will be looking at ways to provide cover for the players' houses while they are away on domestic and international duty."
THE EIGHT OTHER STARS BURGLED AT HOME WHILE THEY WERE AWAY
Police cars at the enterence of the Gerrard mansion
A video image from inside Gerrard's lounge
Reader views (13)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
A cowardly and disgraceful crime. A mother and two babies targeted when Gerrard was in France promoting Liverpool by playing the best football of his career, winning the game for his team. I hope the intruders are thrown into prison for life.
- Liam, Belgrade, Serbia
Yes I am blaming the victim!
If you want to live your life in a magazine do not be surprised if the arrogant display of riches and wealth is not interpreted by criminals as an easy opportunity.
- Stuart, London, UK
Hmm, is anyone starting to detect something of a pattern to these burglaries? I wonder how long it will take for footballers and their WAGs to spot it...
PS Jacqueline - are the police supposed to turn up BEFORE burglaries are carried out?
- Chris, London
Blaming the victim?
- Stan, USA
Modesty is a lost art.
If you are going to wear an expensive watch have the class to let people notice it and not put it on the pages of a magazine!
Silly WAG!
Oh and one other thing, probably wise to spend some of the disgusting salary on security!
- Stuart, London, UK
Those cheeky scousers eh...?
She spends £10,000 on a watch? Presumably from his money right? lucky him...
still, as the photos show, no matter how much money you have got you can't buy taste eh?
- Juan, London, UK
Whilst what has happened is terrible when will these WAGS and footballers realise that this conspicuous consumption and flaunting of their unearned and unwarranted wealth will eventually lead to these problems!
- Si, London
Why should Liverpool football club be looking into ways of providing any security for their boastful, overpaid players and their ostentatious woman - they earn more than enough to pay for it themselves.
- Robin, London, UK
I suggest the insurance companies pop round and give them a few tips. It's not really on that a door can just be kicked in these days. And I don't remember a helicopter being dispatched within minutes when I was burgled.
- Paul, London
What a revolting watch! Money, quite clearly cannot buy good taste.
- Jimbob, Kensington
As usual the police shows up - afterwards...
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
Extraordinary. Who will be next?
- Tom Birkert, London
I cannot understand why, having spent £100,000 on a watch, she feels the need to boost about it in a magazine?
- Kim, London
