Inside Ronnie and Reggie Kray’s £2.25M mansion dug up by cops searching for bodies of notorious gangsters’ victims

THIS mansion once owned by the infamous Kray Twins holds a dark secret.

The home, which has hit the market for £2million, was bought by Ronnie and Reggie Kray for just £11,000.

The notorious East End gangsters scooped up The Brooks in Bildeston near Hadleigh, Suffolk, in 1967.

The brothers fell in love with Suffolk after they were evacuated to Hadleigh during World War Two and they vowed to return one day and buy a house in the area.

Estate agents describe the 6.4 acre grounds as “tranquil”.

But cops once infamously dug up the garden as they searched for bodies.

While in the brothers’ hands, the house is said to have been furnished with antiques, sourced by the pair from local shops and auctions.

Ronnie claimed they got on “very well” with the locals, revealing: “We used to go to the local inns there and have a drink; have a sandwich.

“I can’t remember any names. Quiet country inns, we used to go to.”

They are also thought to have become popular with the local kids, giving them donkey rides on a field and handing out money to buy ice-cream.

The Krays also bought a pink cottage close to the post office in the village for their parents Charlie and Violet.

Their dad is said to have become friendly with the locals too, with some describing him as a cheery “true Cockney diamond”.

Ronnie insisted he and his brother didn’t get involved in any crime while in East Anglia.

He said of the locals: “They was very nice; friendly, kind, nice people. Very genuine people.”

When asked if the locals knew about their background, he said: “Some of them did. People recognised us from photographs in the paper. Some of them; not all of them.

“It didn’t seem to make any difference to them, anyway. They still liked us. We got on well with them.”

They sold the house for £14,000 after they were jailed, with Ronnie explaining it was “cos we was inside and there was no point keeping it on”.

The agents details for The Brooks said: “The property is graced with considerable natural light and wonderful original features including large sash windows, picture rails and attractive fireplaces in almost all rooms (including the cloakroom!).”

The 4,200 square feet main house includes a large reception hall with an “attractive staircase” and “ornate stained-glass interior windows”.

Its drawing room has a double aspect, with doors to the south giving access to the gardens and a marble fireplace with wood-burning stove.

The dining room has a “fabulous bay window, with bespoke window seating” with a fireplace flanked by handmade cupboards and shelving and a snug with an open fireplace.

The Aga kitchen has a range of handmade painted shaker-style units with matching display cabinets, solid wood worktops and a twin Belfast sink.

There is also a study room with a brick floor and an arched window overlooking a walled courtyard and a utility room with storage units and a door to the gardens.

The landing on the first floor leads to a “triple-aspect principal bedroom”, a main guest bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, and three further bedrooms, served by a large traditional bathroom with a ball-and-claw bath and a large walk-in shower.

Two further double bedrooms, sharing a large bathroom, are on the second floor.

Bedfords describe the grounds of the house as “one of the most exceptional settings we have seen for some time”.

The agents say the house is “located centrally within this highly regarded and well-served village, yet somehow providing a mature, rural environment to enjoy the copious levels of wildlife and tranquillity”.