Man charged over burglary of Simon Cowell's London mansion

A man has been charged over a break-in at Simon Cowell's mansion while the music mogul, his partner and baby son were asleep.

Darren February, 32, has been charged with burglary after the incident at Cowell's home in Holland Park, west London, on 4 December 2015.

It was reported at the time that £500,000 worth of jewellery belonging to Cowell's partner, Lauren Silverman, was taken during the raid. The X Factor judge had also told how he was left shaken and feared for the safety of his baby son Eric after the night-time raid.

Cowell, who is reported to be worth £325m, reportedly fired his security staff after the break-in. He said he had since stepped up security, saying: "It's a wake-up call. I've changed lots of things to make it harder to get into.

"This is happening hundreds of times a day across the country, I'm not the only one. Most people, like me, think, 'At least no one got hurt.'"

The suspect is due to appear at Hammersmith Magistrates' Court on 5 October.