A gang threatened to cut off former England international Ashley Cole’s fingers during a shocking knifepoint robbery at his home, a court has heard.

Nottingham Crown Court has been told that Cole, who played for Arsenal, Chelsea and Derby County, was bound with cable ties by a group of robbers during a violent break-in at his home in Fetcham, Surrey.

Jurors were told that the group smashed their way into Cole’s home with a sledgehammer and demanded jewellery and watches from the former England defender.

The court heard that the group repeatedly threatened to torture Cole during the alleged robbery, with one of the men who was armed with pliers saying: “Let’s cut his fingers.”

Jurors heard that Cole’s hands were also ‘bizarrely’ doused with Febreze in an apparent bid to destroy DNA evidence.

The group of up to six men later fled the scene when police arrived, after Cole’s partner Sharon Canu managed to call 999 while hiding in a wardrobe.

The couple's two young children were in the house at the time of the alleged robbery in January 2020. 

Kurtis Dilks, 34, is accused of being part of the gang that made off with jewellery, mobile phones and a BMW key.

Dilks is also accused of breaking into the home of former Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone in another alleged robbery, while he is facing accusations of being part of a six-man gang who allegedly stole the £3.75m Portland Tiara from the Welbeck Estate in 2018.

Jurors were told that Huddlestone's home was targeted in a "well-planned operation" while he was playing a match for Championship side Derby County.

Dilks, Ashley Cumberpatch and Andrew MacDonald are accused of conspiring to rob Huddlestone's wife, Joanna Dixon, of £500,000 of jewellery and handbags.

Prosecutor Michael Brady QC told the court that the defendants were "to a greater or lesser extent involved in a series of extremely serious, high-profile, carefully planned and at times ruthlessly executed burglaries and violent robberies".

"On occasions these offences resulted in hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of property being stolen," he added.

"The presence of householders did not deter these defendants. They were armed with weapons and the means to subdue them. The presence of children did not perturb them."