Police in Surrey have arrested two men – and are working to establish whether they are linked to a nearby break-in at the home of Raheem Sterling.
Officers in Oxshott, using dogs and a helicopter, swooped last night following reports of suspicious activity.
The pair are now in custody, with police working to establish if they have anything to do with the theft that saw the Chelsea winger, 27, make a sharp exit from England’s camp in Doha.
Sterling jetted home before Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Senegal, with a spokesperson for the player saying his family had been at the Surrey mansion when the property was hit by armed raiders.
Raheem Sterling’s partner Paige and their three children were not inside their home at the time of the raid, police said
However, police subsequently said that the break-in – which saw jewellery and watches taken – was discovered when the occupants returned from Qatar, adding that they had received no reports of armed intruders.
The door remains open for Sterling to return to the middle east, with a decision expected in the next few hours. England play France in the quarter-final on Saturday.
A spokesperson for Surrey Police said: ‘Two men were arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary last night (December 6) in the Oxshott area. They are currently in custody.
‘Following reports of suspicious activity around 6.40pm, a number of resources were deployed, including the dog unit and the police helicopter. Our colleagues from British Transport Police also provided assistance.
‘Enquiries remain ongoing to establish whether there are any links between these arrests and the break-in reported to us over the weekend.’
Gareth Southgate will not put pressure on Sterling to rejoin the England squad after he flew home due to deal with the police investigation. Pictured: Raheem Sterling’s partner Paige returns home in her £250,000 Mercedes G Wagon
Police were stationed outside Raheem Sterling’s Surrey estate following reports of a burglary
England ace Sterling was said to have been ‘shaken’ by news of the break-in at his £6million mansion.
The footballer, who scored his first World Cup goal during England’s 6-2 demolishing of Iran, hopes to return to Doha in time for the Three Lions’ quarter final crunch match against France on Saturday.
However, sources have said Sterling will only fly back to join his teammates if he feels his family are safe in their Surrey home.
Raheem has told everyone, ‘There is no way I’m going anywhere unless I’m 100 per cent sure that my family can be kept safe”. He is security conscious and part of the reason they moved into the property was that it is on a very exclusive estate, with regular security patrols,’ a source told The Sun.
Private security have been patrolling the estate in Surrey (picture taken on Monday morning)
Sterling was forced to splash out £15,000 on a Rottweiler guard dog named Okan after an earlier raid on his home in Cheshire
‘Despite this, he has still managed to be targeted, which is very upsetting for Raheem and Paige. They have just moved back to London and want to feel safe.’
A spokesman for Sterling said that ‘his focus is on being at home and supporting his family,’ they told The Mirror.
The break-in comes after Sterling reportedly splashed out £15,000 on a Rottweiler guard dog named Okan following an earlier raid on his home in Cheshire.
Now a number of Sterling’s England teammates are understood to now be reviewing their own security in light of the frightening incident.
Gareth Southgate will not put pressure on Sterling to rejoin the England squad, it is believed. And England staff are in touch with Sterling but Chelsea are taking a lead role while he is back in the UK.
Meanwhile, excitement is building ahead of England’s grudge match against reigning champions France on Saturday evening.
Around 9,500 England fans are expected to attend the game at the Al Bayt Stadium and cheer Southgate’s side on as they look to secure a place in the semi-finals.
But tickets for the hotly-anticipated clash are selling for a whopping £10,000 – with some desperate fans forking out 28 times the face value to watch the game in person.