LONDON: Music mogul Simon Cowell’s house, worth £35 million (Dh194.1 million), was burgled in the presence of his family.

The thieves stole cash and jewellery from the home in Holland Park, West London, with his girlfriend Lauren Silverman and son Eric inside on Friday.

According to a source: “It was clearly a very traumatic incident. Simon is just relieved that his family was safe and all right. Their safety is his number one priority.”

Police rushed to the luxury house, but the burglars had already fled.

Cowell branded security guard M’Bathonha Mendes a ‘hero’ after he chased down the thieves and recovered the stolen jewelry and Cowell’s passport.

HE promised Mendes a Christmas bonus but said he will fire his bodyguard, who was totally oblivious to the theft as he was ‘in the toilet’.

He said: ‘Apart from the fact someone broke into my house and stole my stuff, which is scary, it could have been worse. Thankfully no one was hurt,’ reportsThe Sun.

Cowell added: ‘The most frightening thing is someone has been in your house. It’s not what they steal, it’s that’s someone can break into your house. It’s nerve-racking.

The X Factor judge’s home was targeted before in March 2012. A stalker, Leanne Zaloumis, wielded a brick and hid on a shelf inside his wardrobe.