FOOTY star Jude Bellingham is building a luxury home in the same leafy village as THREE Premier League players – complete with his own trophy room and barbershop, it is claimed.
The England and midfielder is also next door for his parents in Barnt Green, near – but there’s a dark side to the village, The Sun can reveal.
His close neighbours include heroes and Matty Cash, who live in the same street while Man City star lives just round the corner in an adjoining street.
The exclusive Worcestershire village is fast beginning to rival Cheshire’s Alderley Edge, where some oil the biggest names in , including , and have lived.
But neighbours say there’s a growing problem that they’re blaming on the footy stars’ presence, with one telling us he’s had to have so much security installed his home looks like Fort Knox.
Bellingham, who turned 22 last month, bought the two-acre plot in Barnt Green a year ago and building work on the two detached properties where he and his parents will live is almost complete.
Builders ‘putting final touches’ to homes
Builders are putting the final touches to the brick and stone mansions and landscaping around the properties is due to begin later this .
The properties are surrounded by other multimillion pound in the quiet tree-lined street less than a mile from the centre of Barn Green village.
Although locals enjoy catching a glimpse of the superstar footballers, they say their arrival in the village, as well as numerous wealthy businessmen including Gym Shark founder Ben Francis and singer Jamelia, has led to an alarming spate of burglaries in recent months.
One local said there is now a burglary almost every week in the area, including the theft of a sports car from the driveway of one of Bellingham’s neighbours late last month.
The local, who asked not to be named, said: “It is becoming a real problem now. There’s a burglary almost every week , but the perpetrators are never caught.
“I’ve seen the burglars myself. I was walking along the street a few weeks ago and two men dressed in black and wearing balaclavas shot past me.
“They were legging it at speed from one of the houses here that they’s obviously been robbing from. One of them had like a thick postbag in his hand as they ran past. It was terrifying
“It is becoming such a regular thing here now but I don’t understand why the cops aren’t doing more to try and find the perpetrators. You never see a car patrolling these streets around here.
“I’ve had to do a few things to increase our security arrangements at my house. I’ve got the latest alarms and CCTV and I’ve just bought two Rottweilers to help protect me. It’s like Fort Knox at my place now and I fear it needs to be.
“Despite all of these recent burglaries, it is still a wonderful place to live.
I’ve had to do a few things to increase our security arrangements at my house. I’ve got the latest alarms and CCTV and I’ve just bought two Rottweilers to help protect me. It’s like Fort Knox at my place now and I fear it needs to be.
Anonymous Barnt Green resident
“There is a great sense of togetherness in the community and we have the best of everything. We’re only a few miles from the centre of , yet we live in this beautiful village in the countryside.
“I can certainly understand why these footballers want to live here too.
“However, I think the escalation in crime is a direct result of word going around that there are a lot of footballers and other high-value individuals living here.”;
On the high street in Barnt Green, the football stars are regularly seen shopping and eating out at several upmarket market cafes and .
Villa Watkins, in particular, is a regular at a pizza restaurant, Cofton on the Green, in the village.
Owner David Clifford, 64, says Watkins likes to fire up his performances with pepperoni pizza.
Mr Clifford said: “Ollie is a regular customer and he is always friendly and very down-to-earth. He comes in with his family. Sometimes he’ll eat in, or on the terrace outside, but often he’ll grab a takeaway.
“He’s always nice to the staff and happy to pose for a selfie with locals. He’s just a great guy.
“We’ve also had Jack Grealish in a few times, but not so much since he moved to Man City.
“Matty Cash is a another regular and, again, a lovely bloke. They are all heroes to people around here and we’re super proud of them.”;
Across the road, at Warwick’s butchers, owner Warwick Savage, 53, revealed that before he moved to Man City, the then-Aston Villa star Grealish used to visit his shop every week to buy dozens of local Lashford sausages.
Mr Clifford, himself a fan, said: “Good old Jackie must have been living on the bloody things, he was buying so many.
“Not that I blame him – they’re made in Birmingham and they’re probably the best sausages in the world. If you haven’t tried them already, you should. Everyone should. They are very meaty and there’s no rubbish in them.”;
Mr Savage also revealed he had been told by a source close to the building team hired to build Bellingham’s properties that the star’s new pad includes a trophy room and a barbershop-style room.
Mr Savage said: “He’s even had a huge display cabinet built for all his trophies and medals.
“The idea of the barbershop is that he and his mates can hire a personal barber to go round and cut their hair.
“Apparently, it’s just like a high quality barbershop you’d find in the smartest streets.
“I also see parking up his black G-Wagon outside his butcher shop, but sadly he’s not come in here yet.”;
As previously reported, the new build will boast a basement area with a cinema,, sauna and gym and an entertainment area complete with a bar.
There will be a living space upstairs which includes a large kitchen, five ensuite bedrooms, two lounges and a snug.
Meanwhile, a second, similarly designed five-bed property is being built by the same developer on the spot where the former house stood.
Bellingham’s development is reported to be worth a whopping £7million in total,reportsMailOnline.
Alan Mehan, 38, runs a Mediterranean restaurant, Cork and Crust, where several footballers, including Watkins and Cash are regular customers.
He also runs an off licence opposite selling Havana cigars and £895-a-bottle Krug champagne, but adds the players never touch either.
“They don’t drink, from what I can see, but they often come to the restaurant with their families for a meal.
“Even though I’m a Wolves fan, they are always super-friendly to me and my staff. I’m always happy to see them because they are lovely people.
“They’ve always got time for the staff and they’ll pose for photographs with them, as well as other customers.”;
His colleague, manager Fergus Barlow, 28, added: “And when they’ve finished their meals, they’ll always put their heads through the kitchen door and thank the chefs and pot washers. They’ve got good manners.
“Often, a few hours before they come in, they’ll phone up to check we’ve got the kind of food they eat, which is usually lean meat and fish with pasta.
“They like their vegetables too. They look after their bodies and they are particular about what they eat because they have to stay healthy and they need good quality protein in their diet.
“They’re just regular guys who have done well for themselves, but they have no airs and graces.
“They’re just decent people and we are always happy to see them here. They’ve got time for everybody but they know they can come here and not get too much hassle from the general public.”;
‘No wonder footballers want to live here’
Staff at local estate agents Oulsnam say Barnt Green is popular because of its rural vibe in a village just eight miles from Britain’s second city, Birmingham.
Prices for detached homes on their range from £500 to £4m, while smart semis start at £400,000.
The cheapest property they have for sale currently is a £165,000 two-be retirement apartment.
A spokesperson for the agency said: “This is a wonderful area. You’ve got every amenity you could wish for and good , state and private, nearby.
“There’s even a sailing club here, as well as a good club. There are exquisite cafes, bars and restaurants, independent shops and a country park right on the doorstep.
“No wonder these footballers want to live here.”;
The Sun has approached Bellingham’s reps for comment.
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