Strange tale of the football star, a small Welsh community and the neighbours from hell; PORT TALBOT INVESTMENT LANDS STAR IN LOCAL ROW.(News)

Byline: ROBIN TURNER

HE'S renowned for his distinctive 6ft-7in frame and his trademark robotic dance moves to celebrate scoring goals.

But while England striker Peter Crouch might earn his keep as a Premiership footballer, a sideline as a property investor has landed him at the centre of an unlikely row in the Welsh community of Pentyla.

It has emerged that the Tottenham Hotspur forward, who earns a reputed pounds 70,000 a week at the London club, is the landlord of a house in Port Talbot that has drawn complaints from neighbours about the behaviour of the tenants.

The unlikely link between one of Britain's most famous footballers and one of Wales' least glamorous areas was uncovered by a local councillor's detS ective work.

After recording the complaints of members of the public living near the address, Juliet Hopkins examined its ownership records.

She said: "I found to my surprise it was owned by Peter Crouch, the footballer, who was down as living at an address in Ealing, London."

She then discovered that far from being an isolated case, the town has become a haven for footballers who were drawn to it during the property boom by its rapidly-rising house prices.

The purchases are thought to relate to lower prices outside London and the fact Port Talbot experienced a mini housing boom a few years ago, based on its closeness to the M4 and relatively inexpensive asking prices compared to Swansea and Cardiff.

They generally then employ agents to deal with the logistics of property ownership, frequently having very little involvement with the running of the houses.

It is understood Mr Crouch employed agents to handle his property dealings and has very little direct involvement himself.

The exact house in question cannot be identified for legal reasons.

The Pentyla area of Port Talbot was home to Lord Howe of Aberavon, but local residents say it has recently become blighted by a series of incidents of anti-social behaviour - which indirectly led to the discovery of the celebrity landlords in the area.

Mrs Hopkins said she believed the prominence given to the area as a property hotspot had been responsible for attracting them.

"It got a few mentions on the internet which probably explains the investment purchases by what are essentially absentee landlords," she said.

"I accept the owners such as Peter Crouch may not have anything to do with the running of the rental of their properties.

"I have been told that is all dealt with by agencies and is out of their hands.

"But if you invest money in a house you have a responsibility to the neighbours of that property and to the community in which it is based."

Mrs Hopkins said "things had quietened down" at the property owned by Mr Crouch after it was raised at a Pact meeting with local police.

But she said: "We are monitoring the situation there and a number of agencies are working to alleviate problems."

Yesterday, Melvyn Gandz, a partner in London accountants BSG Valentine, which has a sports division handling the financial affairs of top athletes, rugby stars and premiership footballers, confirmed a number of sports and football stars owned homes in Port Talbot.

And he added: "They are responsible investors."

He said Mr Crouch took great interest in ensuring any problems with his properties were sorted promptly.

"If there is a problem with any house we want to make sure it is dealt with straight away," he said.

"If, unknown to my client, there is any damage caused or a house has been put into disrepair, we will contact the agent involved to ensure everything is done to put it right.

"If anything is brought to Peter's attention he is determined it should be dealt with immediately.

"He is not the hands-on landlord.

He delegates it to agents to make sure any problems are dealt with.

"He's very conscious that he wants them dealt with straight away."

Mr Gandz added: "Peter Crouch, together with other footballers, has an interest in properties in Port Talbot and it has been a very expensive exercise keeping them in good repair."

Baglan-based Mrs Hopkins said: "We hope we are on top of this problem, but there are a number of rented homes in this area which people have concerns about."

According to the Land Registry, the average cost of a house in Port Talbot last year was pounds 106,000 with the average flat going for pounds 73,000.

Pentyla's most famous resident was Geoffrey Howe who was born in the area in 1926.

His father was part of a solicitors' firm in the town.

Former mobile phone salesman and Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts, now a globetrotting singer, also has a house in Pentyla, a white painted art-deco mansion overlooking Swansea Bay.

CAPTION(S):

Spurs and England ace Peter Crouch, right, has rental property in Pentyla in Port Talbot