VICTORIA Beckham's parents knew something was wrong.

They were tipped off that some of their daughter's and LA Galaxy star David Beckham's things were on sale on auction site eBay.

A source told the Sun newspaper: "They recognised the items as ones which had either been given to David and Victoria or bought by them and placed in their home."

On sale at auction site eBay were Victoria's designer clothes, Beckham's football kits and a football boot featuring the names of the Beckhams' three sons - Brooklyn, 9, Romeo, 6, and Cruz, 3.

Once Victoria's parents were certain, they called the police and got another shock. The cops arrested the couple?s housekeepers - June Emmett, 56, and her husband Eric, 55.

Police are said to have found the details given for the sellers of the property matched the Essex address of the Beckhams' housekeepers.

Many of the eBay items were allegedly recovered from their address, reported the Sun.

Mr Emmet, who was released on bail, has denied any wrongdoing, reported AFP.

Disbelief

His wife also denied any wrongdoing and said she was confident her husband would not face any charges.

She said: "This has all come as a bolt from the blue."

The police said: "A 56-year-old man from Essex and a 55-year-old woman also from Essex have been arrested in connection with this incident and are currently on police bail."

Victoria, 34, flew in from the US for a photoshoot on Sunday. She landed yesterday and went straight home to see what else was missing.

A friend told the Sun: "They are both very shaken. The idea someone has been rifling through their personal possessions is bad enough, but to think it is allegedly people they trusted so much is even more horrific."

The Beckhams divide their time between their British home, a 1930s mansion nicknamed Beckingham Palace and worth around £8 million (S$20 million), and Los Angeles, where his football team is based.

An eBay spokesman said the firm was working with police to establish which items were involved in the allegations.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Oct 15, 2008.