Rebekah Vardy preparing to evacuate luxury villa after being caught up in terrifying bush fires in Portugal
REBEKAH Vardy was last night preparing to evacuate her holiday home after being caught up in terrifying bush fires in Portugal.
Flames are close to the villa where Becky, 40, and her five kids are staying. Worried hubby Jamie, 35, is in Leicester for pre-season.
Wildfires have been ripping through Europe with Portugal badly hit.
Terrified Rebekah can see smoke everywhere as bush fires rage around her luxury holiday villa, it emerged last night.
The wife of Leicester striker Jamie has packed her bags as she and her five children prepare to flee the £8million pad.
Water supplies have been cut off at the exclusive resort in Portugal, while worried Jamie, 35, is in constant contact back in Leicester.
It comes as wildfires rip through a scorching Europe, while in the UK the Government’s emergency Cobra committee met yesterday.
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Last night a source said of the Vardys: “It’s been horrifying. Their neighbours have all been evacuated and one by one residents are being told to leave their homes.
“Becky can see smoke everywhere and she’s terrified about the kids breathing it in. The water is also down so she’s relying on bottled water which, obviously, there is only a finite amount of at home.
“Jamie and their friends and family back home have all been really worried. Things are developing by the hour but she’s praying the fire brigades, who have been brilliant, can get things back under control.”
Fires can be seen raging from the balcony of Becky’s six-bed villa, which boasts three pools, a gym and sauna. Flames were last night licking at a golf course on the resort, which is in the south of the country.
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The former I’m A Celebrity contestant, 40, is understood to have come to Portugal to get away from her recent legal troubles.
A High Court judge is deliberating on the Wagatha Christie trial, after Becky sued Wayne Rooney’s wife Coleen for defamation.
Meanwhile, Jamie is currently with Leicester for pre-season training.
Wildfires have been ripping through Europe as temperatures hit 46C (115F), with Portugal badly hit.
Blazes have struck the millionaires’ haunt of Quinta do Lago where stars including Alan Shearer, Holly Willoughby, Phillip Schofield, John Terry and Duncan Bannatyne all have holiday homes.
Meanwhile, the Met Office said the UK’s record temperature of 37.8C (100F), set in July 2019, could be toppled in the coming days, sparking fears of a dangerous surge on the NHS.
Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse, who chaired an emergency Cobra meeting, yesterday warned services could come under pressure.
He said: “The key thing we can do is prepare Government services for what may be a surge in demand - not least in the health service.”
Reservoirs have been left bone-dry after a huge demand for water and Brits have been urged to ration usage. The Environment Agency says some river levels are “exceptionally low” while bookmakers yesterday slashed their odds on the likelihood of a hosepipe ban to 3/1.
Anglian Water has asked its four million customers to limit showers to five minutes, avoid washing cars and to “learn to love a brown lawn”.
Yorkshire Water said its reservoir stores were at levels last seen in 1995 when supplies had to come via tankers. It said: “On Monday we supplied 1.5billion litres alone, which is 200million litres above normal and the equivalent of adding a city the size of Leeds into supply.”
After union bosses told workers to down tools in the heat, teachers’ leaders last night said sports days could be axed. Mary Bousted, of the NEU, said: “Schools will prioritise safety and wellbeing.
“It is potentially dangerous to take part in vigorous physical activity in extreme heat, with the risk of heat exhaustion and even heat stroke.”
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Rail passengers have already been warned to expect delays and cancellations as speed restrictions are put in place to prevent tracks buckling. Gritters are likely to be out spreading sand to stop roads from melting.
The Met Office said temperatures were likely to be in excess of 35C (95F) from Sunday, “especially across central, southern and eastern England, with a chance of some locations being even hotter”.
DRAGON FLED FLAMES
FORMER Dragon’s Den star Duncan Bannatyne has revealed he and his wife had to flee their Portuguese home as a wildfire raged nearby.
The Scot, 73, tweeted that he and and Nigora, 42, were forced to leave their Vale do Lobo pad after flames spread through the Algarve resort.
He wrote on Wednesday: “We have survived but it was a bit scary. Yes. We had to leave our homes today but luckily very few properties were damaged. Luckily most fires were contained by early evening.”
The entrepreneur shared a video of the fire brigade arriving after they fled and Nigora can be heard saying: ”S***, what do we do next?” Duncan replies: “Nothing we do except stay here for the moment.”
The Bannatynes, pictured, bought the luxury five-bedroom villa for around £2.5million in 2014. It is now said to be worth around £5million.
Around 70 people were asked to leave homes in the exclusive Pinheiros Altos resort where Steven Gerrard and John Terry own properties, as fames reached 550 yards from Roman Abramovich’s Algarve mansion.