Gary Barlow's £6 million home has been targeted by burglars

A police spokesperson told The Sun newspaper: "We received reports of a burglary in between 5.50pm on 7 April and 9am on 8 April. Officers are investigating the incident."

One of Gary's neighbours added to the publication that the incident should serve as a "warning" to other residents. They said: "The police have been round to ask me about what happened, but I wasn't aware of anything.

"I noticed the gates were flapping open. It's a rather secluded place. It's a warning to us all. There have been other burglaries we've heard about in the area within the last year or so.

"There are a few big houses and Mr Barlow's is one of them."

No details have been given about what was taken in the raid or whether Gary's wife and children were at home at the time of the incident. No arrests have been made.

At the time of the burglary, Gary was away recording a performance with his Take That co-stars Mark Owen, 52, and Howard Donald for 'Saturday Night Takeaway' which aired the following week.

Gary bought the house for £2.3 million back in 2007.

The news comes after the singer opened up about his time in the group during their 1990s hey day revealing he always felt uncomfortable with his pop idol status.

He told Sorted magazine: "We were five - I mean, I can't include myself in this - the other guys were four extremely good-looking boys.

"And when we walked on stage, girls went mad. And the madder they went, the more we loved it.

"The funny thing was, the magazines catering to teenagers didn't mind putting topless boys on the front of their magazines in the early 90s. It was a very strange time...

"It was almost like they were giving us a chance, not because the music was any good but because they could actually put faces on the front of their magazine that people would be interested in. We were on the covers of magazines before we had any hits, so image and fashion came first for us.

"And I'll be honest, it's always been an area I've struggled with. I was never the cool kid at school, I've always felt like I couldn't be trusted to dress myself - I'm just a guy who writes songs. So that's the bit I struggle with."