Knife raiders hold Kerry Katona and her baby hostage | the Daily Mail
Former pop star Kerry Katona and her baby daughter have been held at knifepoint in their own home in a horrific attack by armed robbers.
The 26-year-old singer was watching a film with her husband and five-month-old Heidi when three masked raiders burst into her £1.2million Cheshire mansion before making off with £150,000 of valuables.
Armed with a sledge-hammer, crowbar and a large kitchen knife, they held Ms Katona and her daughter in the basement of the property while Mark Croft, 36, was taken through the house by the gang.
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Kerry and her family were 'extremely alarmed' by their ordeal
After stealing valuable jewellery, several computers and televisions, the gang trapped the family inside a downstairs room before making off in their top of the range £65,000 BMW car.
Although extremely traumatised, none of the family were harmed and managed to escape and alert police shortly after.
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Kerry Katona and Mark Croft have a baby daughter
The gang bundled Ms Katona, her husband and the baby girl into a downstairs toilet and pushed a snooker table up against the door before making their escape.
Publicist Max Clifford, who represents the former self-confessed cocaine addict, said she had been left terrified and traumatised by the half-hour ordeal.
"Kerry is absolutely distraught," he said. "One of them was holding a knife to Kerry's throat. She was hanging on to Heidi while the other two were running around the house picking up all the valuables they could find.
"She could hardly speak and was sobbing hysterically down the phone as she told me about it. They didn't harm her or the baby but it has been a horrible experience for her.
"They were very threatening and made clear what would happen to them if they didn't do what they wanted.
"Everything was going well for Kerry until this happened. She has only been in the house a few months, she is newly married and the baby has come along but now this.
"She is saying she can't go back into the house. It was terrifying for her."
The ordeal began shortly before midnight on Sunday when the gang, who were wearing balaclavas, burst into the large five bedroomed property, in Wilmslow, which houses some of the most expensive and desirable addresses in Cheshire.
Police have launched an investigation, but yesterday refused to disclose exactly how the men got into the house, which has been home to the couple for just a few months.
It is protected by a sophisticated security system and has CCTV in each room, but yesterday friends revealed that Ms Katona, who rose to fame in the girl band Atomic Kitten, has a relaxed approach to security.
"I warned her about security, but Kerry used to leave windows open and the back door unlocked all the time," one friend said.
"It wouldn't surprise me if this gang had simply walked in. Kerry is young and she's obviously a bit naive, but Wilmslow is a prime target for burglars."
Next door neighbour Ann Pater, 55, said there had been problems with thieves targeting the area in the past.
"We had our family BMW stolen off the drive about 12 months ago," she said.
"It is very frightening and scary. It makes me nervous, but I don't think this gang will be back."
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Police arrive at Kerry Katona's home in Wilmslow, Cheshire
The burglars stole around £100,000 worth of property, including jewellery and watches, two games consoles, two laptop computers, two televisions, including a 42-inch plasma TV, and the BMW M5 car.
However, they left behind a £80,000 silver Porsche Carrera convertible and the couple's red Aston Martin Vantage, worth around £85,000.
Ms Katona's foster parents, Margaret and Fred Woodall, from Warrington, Cheshire, said they were concerned for her safety. Mr Woodall, 65, a retired engineer, said: "We're very concerned, it's very upsetting.
"We're just thankful that nobody was hurt."
The burglary is the latest problem to beset Ms Katona, who has been dogged by allegations of drug-taking since splitting from Brian McFadden, 27, the former Westlife singer and father of her two older daughters, Molly, five, and four-year-old Lilly-Sue.
It is believed the two older girls were staying with McFadden at the time of the robbery.
Ms Katona married Mr Croft, a taxi driver from Warrington, in Gretna Green on Valentine's Day this year. She gave birth to their first child, Heidi, two months later.
Police said they were still investigating exactly how the gang broke into the property and hoped CCTV footage seized at the scene would provide them with the answers. The burglars also made off with the keys to the couple's Porsche and Aston Martin, which were yesterday removed from the drive for security reasons by the couple's insurance firm.
Can't stand this woman but that's not nice 
Knife raiders hold Kerry Katona and her baby hostage
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