Kate and Rio Ferdinand in security scare: Intruders spotted in grounds of Home Counties mansion

Football star Rio Ferdinand and his wife Kate had a security scare last night, MailOnline can reveal, after intruders were said to have been spotted in the grounds.

Ferdinand, who has four children, owns a luxury property with Kate in an exclusive estate in the Home Counties.

A source close to the couple confirmed there was a security incident at the address on Friday.

A criminal investigation is underway, MailOnline understands.

Former TOWIE star Kate, 30, began dating footballer Rio Ferdinand in 2017 - two years after Rebecca died following a battle with breast cancer.

Posts on her Instagram account on Saturday gave no sign that any incident had occurred as she appeared to be making smoothies for the children at home. Kate is currently pregnant with the couple's second child.

In a care-free video she shared with fans she had made passionfruit and mango smoothies, adding the caption: 'Lazy but very loud Saturdays. Well, it's loud every day in this house.'

But the former England centre-back is far from the only player to have been affected by security issues - as the stars are often targeted for their known wealth.

During the 2022 Qatar World Cup, England star Raheem Stirling had to rush home after his house was raided by burglars while he was away.

The Chelsea forward rushed home from Qatar to check on the wellbeing of his family after being left 'shaken' by the raid on his gated property in leafy Cobham.

In the aftermath, many of Sterling's teammates were understood to be considering increasing their own levels of protection, with the raid being the latest in a string of burglaries on footballer's homes.

Sterling, a father of three, was also targeted by burglars when he played for Manchester City and lived in Cheshire in 2018. But the gang were scared away when an alarm system was activated and left empty-handed.

Another gang of thieves broke into the home of former England footballer Ashley Cole in January 2020 and threatened to cut off his fingers during the terrifying raid.

He was at home with his wife and two young children at the time of the attack, which saw him being tied up and expecting to die.

In 2021, former Manchester United footballer Chris Smalling was robbed at home in front of his wife and two-year-old child in a horrifying ordeal.

Italian news outlet Gazzetta dello Sport reported three armed robbers broke into the English footballer's home and forced him to open his family's safe, where the aggressors took items of jewellery and other valuable items.

Smalling's wife, Sam, called the police just before 5am and officers arrived at the family's villa, located around 25 miles south of Rome, with all three victims very distressed.

The incident happened while the player was contracted to Roma.

Kate Ferdinand has previously discussed raising her blended family on the Parenting Hell podcast, while detailing the changing dynamic with Rio and Rebecca's three children Lorenz, 15, Tate, 13, and Tia, 10, as they reach their teen years.

She insisted that she never wanted to take the place of their mother, and that learning about Rebecca has made her a better parent.

Since then, she gave birth to the couple's first child Cree.

The Metropolitan Police and representatives for the Ferdinands have been contacted for comment.