SHAKEN Simon Cowell yesterday told of the horrifying moment he was woken at
2am by his bodyguard — to be told an intruder had broken into his mansion.
The X Factor supremo said his and girlfriend Lauren Silverman’s first thoughts
were for the safety of 21-month-old son Eric.
Simon, 56, said: “It was nerve-racking. Lauren was woken up with me and we
checked on Eric.
“That was the first thing we did, to make sure he was OK.
“Apart from the fact someone broke into my house and stole my stuff, which is
scary, it could have been worse. Thankfully no one was hurt.
“But we have the worst guard dogs in the world.”
The burglar ransacked Simon’s safe, getting away with cash and jewellery
thought to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
But Simon said: “It’s not what they stole, it’s the fact they got into the
house. That was the frightening thing, the idea someone was in my house.”
The burglar was spotted as he hurried away from Simon’s £10million home in
Holland Park, West London, by a security guard employed by residents to
patrol the neighbourhood.
He saw the man drop a passport and picked it up. When he saw it was Simon’s
passport he realised the man was a burglar and gave chase.
He confronted the burglar and managed to grab a bag of stolen jewellery and
other items before the intruder fled. Simon said: “These guys, they do the
circuit here. He saw the burglar leave and drop my passport.
“He got out of his car, picked up the passport and realised it was mine.
“He approached the guy but the guy ran off. The guard then told us somebody
had burgled the house. We didn’t even know. He’s got a big Christmas present
coming.”
It is the second time an intruder has got into Simon’s home. In 2012 stalker
Leanne Zaloumis got in through a bathroom window.
Simon, speaking as Lauren flew to New York with Eric, said: “This is the
second time. A girl before, now a guy. That’s what’s scary. If a nutcase got
in, that’s what I’m worried about.”
Friday’s culprit is suspected to be a burglar responsible for a spate of
break-ins. He broke in through Simon’s patio doors, found the key to a safe
and rifled it. It is thought he was in the house undetected for half an hour.
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Simon’s bodyguard, who was also asleep, was eventually alerted and woke his
boss. The break-in raises questions about the effectiveness of security at
the Georgian house.
When Simon was yesterday asked if he planned to review security he hinted
heads would roll, adding: “One person won’t be here.” He refused to put a
price on the stolen items, saying: “I don’t want to talk about that. The
insurance company will cover that.
“It was some jewellery. That’s a pain in the a**e but the most important thing
is to make sure everyone is OK.
“What’s more concerning is how we stop people getting into this house.
Wherever you live someone can get in.
“Maybe I have to get bigger guard dogs.”
One woman neighbour said people living in the street had increased their
security in recent days following a spate of break-ins.
She said: “I know of eight houses of friends in this area which have been
burgled.
“They all report the same description, a 6ft 4in, dark-skinned man — possibly
Algerian or Tunisian.
“One friend was burgled around 8pm last Saturday night. She came out of her
bathroom to find this man standing there.
“The minute he saw her, he ran away the same way he came, through a rear
window.
“Every time the police come they say they have just come from another burglary
nearby.
“It’s definitely worrying that there have been so many. We have all stepped up
security. We are locking our doors.”
The neighbour said of Simon’s burglary: “The guy smashed through the rear
patio door. Simon was home with his wife and his baby, but they didn’t hear
anything.
“Apparently the burglar spent around 30 minutes inside. When he left, a guard
employed by all the residents to patrol the street saw him drop something.
“When the guard looked, it was Simon’s passport so he knew immediately
something was wrong.
“The security guard gave chase and apparently found iPads, watches, jewellery
— all opportunistic items.”
A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said the possibility that Simon’s burglary
was linked to others in the area would “form one strand of the
investigation.”
Detectives are unsure whether Simon’s home was deliberately targeted — or he
was merely the victim of an opportunistic break-in.
But ex-Scotland Yard Flying Squad commander John O’Connor suggested the
burglar may have specifically picked Simon’s mansion after getting a glimpse
of the interior when it featured on a TV show.
He added: “A lot of celebrities unfortunately draw attention to themselves.
Simon Cowell brought TV cameras into his home and that information would be
like gold dust to a professional burglar.
“People assume all burglars are crackheads looking for an opportunity to
steal. But some of them are far from stupid.
“A high-end burglar like this will plan and research a job carefully and make
sure they know the lay-out to the property.
“They are always looking for a good opportunity and will keep their eyes out
on newspapers, the internet and television.
“It’s quite possible the burglar may have had some inside help from someone
who has been in the house in the past.
“He seemed to know exactly where to go — and he found the safe key very
easily.”
Simon, said to be worth £300million, carried on with The X Factor semi-final
last night.