Why Insta homes like Michelle Keegan’s are a thief’s...

WITH spiralling staircases, gold-tapped baths and a sprawling estate, Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan’s £3.5million mansion is a true showbiz palace. In fact, since the TV couple snapped up their dream home in 2019, it has become practically a celebrity in its own right, boasting 663,000 followers on an Instagram page set up to show off their renovation efforts.

Image Credit: The Sun [Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan at their housewarming party.]

But now, after The Sun revealed a terrifying raid at the property, experts have warned it may not just be devoted fans who have been studying snaps of their lavish interiors, but hardened criminal gangs too. Balaclava-clad robbers triggered an alarm as they booted in a side door at the mansion on Tuesday night before chasing TOWIE star Mark, 38, into a room, which he and heavily-pregnant Michelle, 37, “barricaded themselves” inside.

Image Credit: The Sun [Grand curved staircase with black railings and a chandelier.]

While the crooks thankfully didn’t manage to steal anything from the Essex pad, the terrifying incident comes after a number of warnings by fans who have shared their concerns on the account, wrightyhome, that the pictures could be "viewed by criminals".

Image Credit: The Sun [Man on balcony of large white house.]

While these well-meaning accounts can help keep fans up to date with stars' personal lives - and, of course, provide opportunities for the odd freebie or brand tie-up - at their worst they can be a modern 'shopping catalogue' for burglars. Reformed gang enforcer and burglar Lennox Rodgers warns such Instagram trends can spark a feeding frenzy amongst criminals.

Image Credit: The Sun [Man shirtless on a roof with a worker removing roof tiles.]

He tells The Sun: “Gangs are rubbing their hands together. It’s never been easier to rob celebrities and criminals are more desperate than ever. “You can have all the cameras, the protection dog and everything but it won’t stop them. People want fast money and will do anything to get it.”.

Image Credit: The Sun [Woman in beige outfit at a pool party.]

Lennox knows every trick in a burglar's playbook, having previously run with a crime gang who robbed banks, nightclubs, homes and warehouses. He explains that celebrities are already “especially vulnerable” in the modern world, due to posting photos of themselves with designer clobber, luxury watches and expensive handbags.

Image Credit: The Sun [A man and woman installing ceiling track.]

But when they go one step further and invite people into their homes via social media or TV shows - especially like MTV Cribs or BBC's This Is MY House - it becomes especially dangerous. Photographs of beautiful paintings on their walls and luxurious bedrooms help criminals figure out a floor plan of their homes, allowing them to map out where security cameras are and find weak spots to exploit.

Image Credit: The Sun [Clothes and shoes organized in a closet.]

Even the smallest details, such as a picture of a drain cover in the front garden, could turn a potential raid in their favour, thanks to a roster of crooked associates that can range from postmen to builders. Lennox, for example, recalls paying off an engineer because he knew the right drain to lift to find wires for a venue’s security system to deliberately set off the alarms.

Image Credit: The Sun [Stacey Solomon discovering a hidden door in her home.]

They knew the police would attend the scene and once they had left, the gang carried out their raid, knowing alarms couldn’t sound again. Highly-organised gangs will often steal cars, art, jewellery and designer items to order for huge fees, says Lennox, who co-founded The Refocus Project, which helps young people escape a life of crime.

Image Credit: The Sun [Pink hallway with bench, coats, and clock.]

He explains: “If a Ferrari is worth £200,000, I imagine the people actually stealing it will get about £50,000 and that will be shared around them. “The person at the top will make the most and offer their little runners, the people that do the crime, a cut. They are paid a lot less, but it’s a lot of money for a few hours work.”.

Image Credit: The Sun [Couple in kitchen giving house tour.]

A particular vulnerability for celebrities is their associates and workers, who can supply valuable information to gangs. Lennox warns “keep your workers happy” because during his gang days, they would regularly target disgruntled employees for information.

Image Credit: The Sun [Security camera footage of a homeowner confronting a burglar.]

They had everyone from bouncers and security guards to passport officers, politicians and even the police on their payroll. “I remember one job at a nightclub where the head bouncer told us which fire doors were unlocked, which allowed us to rob them easily,” he said.

Image Credit: The Sun [Man in sunglasses holding a small cup outdoors.]

“You have to keep your workforce happy because there are people out there scouting for people who aren’t and they will sell you to the devil for a pittance. Especially because they know it will never get back to their employers.”. Lennox says some gangs hang out at specific pubs - if they know a person or group drink there - to befriend the target and trick them into revealing information.

Image Credit: The Sun [Man kneeling with two dogs by a pond.]

Other times, they can glean useful tidbits simply by sitting within earshot of conversations. He notes that tradespeople, postal workers and delivery drivers could easily sell intel and while there is an “expected level of trust”, they are easily corrupted by £3,000-a-time payoffs.

Image Credit: The Sun [Man in a plaid suit taking a selfie in his living room.]

Lennox adds: “They could even convince someone to wear some kind of body camera, you can get very small ones, which could film a celebrity’s home and all their valuables.”. Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan bought their Essex mansion for £1.3million back in 2019 and have undertaken extreme renovations since.