SOCCER superstar Thierry Henry's wife and daughter were
last night under constant guard against a vicious East European
kidnap gang.
The former Arsenal star called in a top security firm to protect
his family after Special Branch tipped them off about the plot to
snatch two-year-old Tea and hold her to ransom.
They ordered 24-hour GUARDS outside their London home, close
protection MINDERS for little Tea and estranged wife Claire, 27,
plus beefed-up CCTV SURVEILLANCE.
The team is on full alert after 29-year-old Henrywho has signed
for Spanish giants Barcelona in a £16million megadealsplit from
Claire and moved out, as revealed in the News of the World.
Neighbours first noticed the heightened security several months
ago. And last night an inside source revealed the danger to Tea was
still "imminent".
A family friend told us: "Claire was already in bits over the
threat, now it's tougher with Thierry 1,000 miles away.
"She was terrified to hear how Kerry Katona was threatened by
robbers with a knife in her own home. Now she fears something even
worse."
The Henrys' immense wealth makes them a natural target for
organised crime. Thierry will earn an estimated £130,000 a week at
Barcelona and Claire could land a divorce settlement of £10million
from his £25million fortune.
Experts say the ruthless Romanian Mafia are the most likely to be
behind the kidnap. They are here in force and have form for child
snatches, human trafficking and sex slavery.
An inside source said: "Henry and Claire were horrified when they
were told of the plot.
"Claire loves taking Tea for a walk round the park and it would
have been easy for kidnappers to bundle her into a car. Now any
suspicious vehicles or people are immediately challenged. Even the
nanny is shadowed by bodyguards."
Friends are convinced the stress of the threat put extra pressure
on the couple's four-year marriage.
In the weeks before the break-up walkers on Hampstead Heath were
stunned to see model Clairethe girl Henry starred with in the
Renault Clio TV adin angry rows on her mobile phone.
One said: "It was about 10 days before the split and Claire was
shouting and swearing down the line in French."
A week later Claire was spotted again. A witness told us: "She
really lost the plot and was shouting, F*** off!' and lots of
French words.
"She then HEADBUTTED her phone in rage three or four times."
