Two South Yorkshire men are at the centre of a probe into the theft of a computer detailing David and Victoria Beckham's top secret security arrangements.
The duo, who have been bailed to return to a Rotherham police station at a later date, are believed to have stolen the machine from a firm brought in to boost protection arrangements for the 29-year-old England captain and his pregnant pop star wife.
Leed-based company Chase Security Management, which used to provide a minder service for the Beckhams, alerted police to the theft after receiving blackmail demands when those responsible realised what explosive secrets were stored on the computer.
Top secret files contained detailed plans of the couple's Beckingham Palace mansion in Hertfordshire and positions of all the cameras and alarms in the multi-million pound house.
Fingerprints, voice samples, copies of David and Victoria's handwriting and photos of identifying scars were also kept on file to help police eliminate crank kidnappers from genuine ones.
The computer was also said to have detailed security arrangements for all the Beckhams' close relatives, including personal telephone numbers and a list of all those who need to be contacted in an emergency.
The computer is also said to have details about a bullet proof car used by the celebrity couple and about the arrangements in place to protect their eldest son Brooklyn when he is at school. It is also reported that every member of the Beckham family has had DNA swabs taken and stored by police for identification in case they are kidnapped and held to ransom.
The men were arrested after allegedly trying to sell the computer to a national newspaper.
Officers from South Yorkshire Police were contacted by a Sun reporter who handed over the computer equipment and gave details of the men who offered it to the paper.
A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: "I can confirm two men have been arrested in relation to allegations of theft and blackmail relating to a property at the centre of a dispute with a security company. Both were questioned and released on bail pending enquiries." Chase Security Management boss Peter Consterdine, told The Sun: "I have passed on all this to the police because we have had an extortion demand. The information is our proprietary information, and confidential." Although the security firm is no longer used by the Beckhams, while they are living in Madrid, it is believed many of the firm's recommendations and arrangements are still in place.
The Beckhams were at the centre of a terrifying kidnap plot foiled by undercover News of the World reporters in November 2000 and in July they had another scare when a man carrying petrol was seized at their Hertfordshire mansion.
