Real Housewives of Cheshire star puts her £2.8m mansion up for sale one year after armed robbers broke into the property and terrorised her housekeeper in a knifepoint attack

Armed men stormed the Cheshire property in August last year
Housekeeper was held at knifepoint. Robbers stole £70,000 of goods
Six-bedroom mansion has now gone on the market for £2.8million

Published: 12:10 GMT, 22 November 2016 | Updated: 20:32 GMT, 22 November 2016

e-mail

212

View
comments

Ampika Pickston, from ITV's Real Housewives of Cheshire, has put up for sale the mansion which was raided by robbers last year

Real Housewives of Cheshire star Ampika Pickston has put her £2.8million mansion up for sale a year after she fell victim to an armed robbery in which her housekeeper was held at knifepoint.

The 35-year old is selling up the home near Altrincham, Cheshire after her employee Lesley Khan was threatened with an axe, hammer and knife before the thieves escaped with a haul worth £70,000.

The robbery happened in August 2015 whilst Pickston was at a screening for the first episode of the second series of the hit ITVBe reality show.

She had regularly allowed the flamboyant six bedroomed property to be used for filming, but it is feared the robbers were able to establish its layout by watching episodes of the programme.

Mrs Khan was uninjured in the raid but according to Pickston was left 'emotionally broken.'

It emerged today that the TV star has put the house on the market with estate agents Hibbert Homes describing it as a 'stunning detached property with 7,750 sq ft of living space over three floors.'

The luxury house includes a 42-foot long indoor swimming pool, a gymnasium, steam room, sauna and a self contained apartment with views of an exclusive golf club.

It has marble flooring, mirrored ceilings, crystal chandeliers, a custom-built designer kitchen made by Clive Christian and a large spiral staircase rising through the floors.

Robbers stormed the house last year and held a housekeeper by knifepoint

Ampika's huge bedroom includes an en-suite bathroom suite with whirlpool bath featuring an integrated TV plus a 220 square foot wardrobe to house her reported collection of 300 pairs of Jimmy Choos and Louboutins shoes and Chanel, Fendi and YSL handbags.

One neighbour said: 'Ampika was not at home at the time of the robbery but unfortunately her housekeeper was and she was put through a terrifying ordeal.

'Although she has obviously done nothing wrong, Ampika does feel a certain sense of guilt that she wasn't there to protect her employee and memories of that awful night are still very raw.

'It's very difficult for victims of robberies and burglaries to get past the fact someone has invaded the house, threatened their nearest and dearest and gone through their things.'

The gang, who were thought to be white and in their late 20s and early 30s, had burst into the gated house and attacked Mrs Khan, who was alone in the property watching TV.

Mrs Pickston's £35,000 Harry Winston watch (pictured) was stolen along with other items

Two Chanel handbags, similar to the one pictured, were also grabbed by the robbers

Wearing balaclavas and gloves, they dragged her upstairs by the back of the neck and threw her onto a bed, shouting and swearing and demanding to know where the safe was.

Mrs Khan suffered an asthma and panic attack during her 15-minute ordeal and said she didn't know where the safe was. The gang then ransacked the property looking for valuables.

They snatched Pickson's £35,000 Harry Winston watch which was encrusted with pink diamonds, Mrs Khan's Tag Heuer watch worth £3,000, costume jewellery, a £1,000 bottle of Clive Christian perfume and two Chanel handbags before dragging her back downstairs.

They took the keys to Pickston's silver Mercedes Benz and drove it away - abandoning it nearby. Producers at the ITV studios at MediaCityUK, were informed of the break-in during the screening and broke the news to Pickston.