Bruno Fernandes' £4m Cheshire mansion raided by masked gang while he played for Man Utd

Bruno Fernandes returned from Manchester United’s 4-1 defeat to Como in northern Italy on Wednesday night to find his £4 million Cheshire mansion had been ransacked by three masked intruders. The burglary at his home in Nether Alderley took place at approximately 8.30pm while the United captain was on the pitch in Italy.

A neighbour alerted police after spotting three suspicious individuals in the area. According to Cheshire Police, the men are believed to have scaled the rear fence of the garden, which backs onto woodland, before making off with a number of valuables. Despite the property being equipped with a hi-tech security system, the suspects escaped before officers arrived.

A Cheshire Police spokesperson confirmed: “At around 8.30pm on Wednesday 21 October, police were called to reports of suspicious activity at an address in the Alderley Park area of Nether Alderley. The caller reported three unknown men in the rear garden of a neighbouring property. Officers attended the scene and on arrival there was no trace of the suspects. However, officers discovered that there had been a burglary at the address and a number of items had been stolen.”

Detective Inspector David Jarvis, of Macclesfield Proactive CID, said the investigation was at an early stage. “We’re committed to doing all we can to trace the people responsible,” he added. “As part of our enquiries, we’re keen to hear from anyone who was in the local area at the time and believes they may have witnessed anything suspicious.”

The break-in compounded a miserable evening for Fernandes, who had already made headlines for publicly criticising United manager Michael Carrick’s tactics following the heavy loss in Como. Representatives for Fernandes and Manchester United had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.